Alberta colleges form economic task force
By Yoos, Cam on May 19, 2020.
Greg Bobinec
Lethbridge Herald
Alberta’s 11 Comprehensive Community College’s (CCCs) have launched an Economic Recovery Task Force to assist the work of local, provincial and federal governments, and industry, as they tackle the economic challenges faced as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The task force will be chaired by Grande Prairie Regional College President and CEO Robert Murray. Other members of the task force will include Paula Burns, president and CEO of Lethbridge College, Joan Hertz, interim president and CEO at NorQuest College, Nancy Broadbent, president and CEO at Portage College, Peter Nunoda, president at Red Deer College, Elan MacDonald, senior vice-president at Global Public Affairs, Joseph Lougheed, partner at Dentons Canada LLP, Lynette Tremblay, vice-president, Stategy and Innovation at Edmonton Global, and Justin Riemer, Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Western Economic, Diversification, Government of Canada.
Peter Leclaire, Assistant Deputy Minister, Advanced Learning and Community Partnerships Division, Government of Alberta, will serve as an observer to the taskforce.
“This taskforce will align its work with business as well as municipal, provincial and federal government priorities to connect the community-based knowledge and expertise that exists within Alberta’s colleges to have direct positive impact on the economy,” says Murray in a news release.
The task force will focus on three main themes starting with economic resiliency to address the immediate needs. The second theme follows the economic recovery to play a key role in restarting the economy, and the third is economic competitiveness to focus on long-term opportunities for Alberta’s colleges to build Canada’s economic strength.
“With a co-ordinated approach focusing on the priority areas of talent and skills; innovation and technology; research and development; partnership and collaboration; and community building and development, Alberta’s colleges will be an integral part of economic recovery and growth plans for all levels of government,” says Murray.
Work is already underway by the task force to identify the ways in which Alberta’s colleges are currently supporting local, provincial and national economic recovery and future growth goals. The task force will examine how to further support and develop this work.
“The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to the local, provincial and national economy,” says Murray. “Alberta’s colleges can, and will, do all they can to support their communities, Alberta and Canada through this current crisis and be at the forefront of future economic growth and stability.”
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