Future plans to expand in the territories
Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 28/01) - The Academy of Learning is under new ownership and the management has big plans for its future.
Former owners Thomas Wunderlin and Mary Broussard handed the keys over to Charles Boulet, co-owner of the newly-formed Northern Learning Company on Feb. 19.
The Academy offers more than 45 courses in Yellowknife that are designed to prepare students for the work place, however, plans are already in the works to open another learning centre in Iqaluit within the next year.
Boulet said the goal of the Northern Learning Company is to provide training in areas that other Northern educational facilities do not currently offer.
"It can be anything from literacy to pre-technical training to even heavy equipment training."
The company also plans to set up "mobile training labs" so students can learn in their own communities.
"More often than not students are taken away from their families, friends, communities and it's very difficult.
"So I think if we can bring the training to the people we can not only reduce (tuition) costs but provide a healthier training environment," said Boulet.
The company had hoped to offer mobile training within 12 to 18 months, but Boulet said it may even happen sooner than that.
"The demand is such that we may very well get into it between six and twelve months," he said.
The Northern Learning Company expects to hire six or seven full-time employees over the next year and a half. Boulet said he is looking for educators, preferably with background in computer technology.
"The fundamental issue is that we continue to provide at least the same quality of service that has been provided over the last number of years.
"If we are going to make a change it will be a change to enhance what is here already."
