Courtesy: CHAT Newsroom.

By Angela Kazmierczak

Medicine Hat College to accept more students into practical nursing program

Apr 14, 2023 | 1:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Yesterday, the Alberta government announced a $171 million investment into post-secondary schools.

From the funding, over $5 million will go toward programs in southern Alberta – including Medicine Hat College.

The college says the funding allows them to open up more seats to the region.

“It’s a provincially identified need. It’s a Canadian-wide need and local need as well. We have interested students that we can meet. The program will enable them to increase their capacity for positions that are out there and that we need,” said Jason Openo, the college’s Dean of School of Health and Community Services.

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“We largely already have the infrastructure and a very strong program and really strong demand every year. So this will give us the opportunity to meet student demand and meet regional demand for the positions for the positions that are available,” said Openo.

The dean says the college is still deciding on how the funding will be dispersed between the campuses. But considering the Brooks HC campus is the primary site for the practical nursing program, investment is certainly underway there.

So far the college has plans to take on 32 more students annually for the next three years. In addition, Openo hopes to upgrade some of the students’ learning spaces and expand the program.

The first wave of students will be accepted in the winter of 2024.