St. Clair College and its French-language counterpart College Boreal hailed a new arrangement Friday that helps share resources and provide educational opportunities for students.
The memorandum of understanding, essentially an official partnership, allows student exchanges between the two community colleges in specified programs. The agreement signed Friday involves health sciences programs along with culinary arts, languages, performing arts and immigration services.
Such partnerships can maximize programs and resources available for both students and colleges, said Denis Hubert-Dutrisac, president of College Boreal.
The agreement will include efforts underway at both colleges focused on retraining for unemployed workers along with adult education programs.
“It will build a better workforce,” Hubert-Dutrisac said of such important programs available for workers wanting to re-enter the workforce and needing employment and literacy skills.
The aim is a “one-stop shop” for students and adults needing education along with employment skills and services, Hubert-Dutrisac said.
Where the colleges can take their new arrangement for students and programs is limited only by “imagination,” St. Clair president John Strasser said at the formal signing and reception at Place Concorde, College Boreal’s base in Windsor.
The French-language college operates in 28 cities from a total of 42 centres, including two locations alone in Windsor at the French community centre on Forest Glade Drive at Lauzon Parkway and downtown at Ouellette Avenue and Wyandotte Street.
In all, College Boreal offers programs and services for about 8,650 people. College Boreal opened 10 years ago at Place Concorde.
Dwight Duncan, Ontario finance minister and Liberal MPP (Windsor-Tecumseh), offered his support of the initiative in a joint news release, highlighting the advantages of having the colleges “share tools and knowledge.”
