A choice by Thompson Rivers College to shut its persevering with training services in Clearwater and Barriere has group leaders saying the college is neglecting its legislated mandate to serve regional learners.
The Kamloops-based post-secondary establishment stated in a written assertion to CBC Information that it isn’t renewing leases in Clearwater and Barriere, the place its regional centres have been housed for 3 many years.
The college has 4 different regional centres within the Cariboo and the higher Fraser Canyon. All of the centres supply vocational training corresponding to enterprise, laptop, first help and forestry programs.
Baldev Pooni, TRU’s dean of trades and know-how, says the regional centres are closing due to decreased demand for in-person courses and unused rented areas.
Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell says TRU has uncared for its mandate to supply training providers to distant communities by shutting down its two regional centres in North Thompson. (Jenifer Norwell/CBC)
In Clearwater alone, enrolled in-person college students dropped from 168 in 2018-2019 to simply 9 in 2020-2021.
“It seems like for the subsequent 9, 10 months or extra that we are going to not have that face-to-face supply,” Pooni informed Shelley Joyce, host of CBC’s Dawn Kamloops.
In 2005, the province launched the Thompson Rivers College Act, requiring the college — previously generally known as Cariboo School and College School of the Cariboo — to serve the academic and coaching wants of the area.
Jack Keough, govt director of Yellowhead Group Companies, says the closure of the Barriere and Clearwater instructional services could breach this mandate.
Jack Keough, govt director of Yellowhead Group Companies, says TRU has been progressively reducing course choices in Clearwater since its native coordinator retired 4 years in the past. (Yellowhead Group Companies )
“[We] present purchasers and pay for tuition to attend many of those [TRU] programs, so they’re both a gateway to get new employment, or they’re a requirement of their present employer to improve sure certificates and abilities,” Keough stated.
He says brick-and-mortar services are nonetheless obligatory regardless that many programs are actually delivered on-line as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Keough says TRU has been progressively reducing course choices in Clearwater since its native coordinator retired 4 years in the past.
“We knew that until they crammed that place, it was going to be a demise by a thousand cuts,” he stated.
Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell says TRU applications in his group deteriorated when the native coordinator not labored within the discipline to make sure the standard and availability of in-person programs.
He says TRU has uncared for its mandate by closing its regional centres in Clearwater and Barriere.
“If you had been created right into a college, you continue to had a mandate to supply the school stage applications to our small communities,” he stated. “We wish the federal government to step in at some stage and assist us restore these service ranges and people alternatives to residents in rural communities.”
The college says it continues to fulfil its mandate by offering programs on-line which are in any other case unavailable to college students in distant communities. It additionally guarantees to hire different services on short-term leases in Clearwater and Barriere for in-person course supply.
“The pandemic scenario has created alternatives [to] present training in different methods,” stated Pooni.
Blackwell says he plans to group up with different communities in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District subsequent month to put in writing a letter to the B.C. authorities with their issues about TRU’s discount of providers for rural learners.
