HUMBOLDT, MELFORT — The region’s two colleges are among those working together on an eight-month program that will prepare students to work in the agriculture sector.
Carlton Trail College, Cumberland College, Great Plains College and Parkland College will start the Agricultural Science Certificate program in October of 2022.
“Agriculture has long been an economic driver within our east central region,” said Deanna Gaetz, Carlton Trail’s business and skills director.
“Working in partnership with other Saskatchewan colleges is a great way to be able to offer this training, while further developing the knowledge and skills needed for working in this industry.”
According to the colleges, the program will teach the fundamental skills necessary for modern agriculture operations with a specific focus on crop production. With courses ranging from recordkeeping and innovative technology, to practical field skills, graduates will be prepared for a career in the agriculture industry.
Learning will take place within a blended delivery model, where all theory will be live-streamed to each location from an instructor located at Cumberland College’s Melfort Campus. All labs will take place in-person at each regional college.
“We are looking forward to partnering and sharing this program with other regional colleges,” said Jeff Fisher, Cumberland’s chair of post-secondary education.
“The study of agriculture is an important part of our programming at Cumberland. Not only is this a unique offering in the Saskatchewan regional college system, but, more importantly, it is relevant and necessary to the agriculture sector in our province. It is exciting for us to facilitate the delivery and see the program expand through this partnership with three other regional colleges.”
The program is brokered through Alberta’s Lakeland College, which will allow graduates wanting to continue their education to transfer into the second year of that college’s Crop Technology Diploma.
