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BC government introduces Northern education initiative

The provincial government has launched a new advertising campaign to attract more post-secondary students to the Northern region.

StudyNorthBC.ca is an online and in-person movement to teach young people about the educational possibilities outside of the Lower Mainland.

Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark says nearly $500,000 was put into the initiative.

“People are not going to come up to what they don’t know. They’re not going to travel up north to see what the north looks like. So we need to bring those tools to them; we have a beautiful province, we have a lot to offer, and what this campaign shows is that there is a different way of learning and that there’s a lot to offer.”

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The NDP have thrown in $350,000 of that funding, claiming Northern institutions are only at a combined 47% enrolment capacity rate.

“We’re hoping it’s going to be a success, but we will be reviewing and it’s going to take a little bit of time,” says Mark during the announcement at UNBC’s Charles McCaffray Hall.

“So the end of December is when we’re going to end the campaign; it may continue if there is a demand. The north is a place to study; it’s an invitation for people to see their opportunity in a different way. So we got written tools, we got social media, and it’s really tapping into the 21st century, which is what students are asking for.”

Study North’s website boasts the advantages of continuing education north of the 51st parallel, including smaller class sizes, hands-on training, and more affordable living.

UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks says attraction is the key to higher enrollment.

“Our recruiters are out right now visiting high schools and career fairs; they’ll be taking all of this imagery with them. This will be a part of the total engagement about UNBC and about the North.”

Northern BC’s other major learning institutions part of the website are the College of New Caledonia (CNC), Northwest Community College (NWCC), and Northern Lights College.

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