Carlton Trail College and the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert have received an award at the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance’s (SEDA) 2022 Provincial Summit.

The Award of Excellence was in the Community Project category (Under 5,000 population) for the Carlton Trail College/R.M. of Prince Albert – Heavy Equipment Operator Training Partnership, says the College. The partnership sees people trained in an in-demand provincial occupation, while also providing municipal road construction and maintenance in return. 
 
“The College is fortunate to work closely with dedicated partners across our region,” Carlton Trail College President and CEO Amy Yeager said. “To receive an award like this acknowledges the value of our partnerships not just to our area, but to our economy and our province as a whole. Congratulations to the teams at the College and the R.M. for their amazing work.”

SEDA’s annual awards recognize the province’s top economic development materials, programs, and partnerships, honouring individuals, agencies, and organizations for their efforts in creating positive change across regions as well as in rural and urban communities.

 Reeve Eric Schmalz was pleased to acknowledge the partnership between the R.M. of P.A. and the College. “Our R.M. and Carlton Trail College started this partnership with the intent to build a stronger, regional relationship. Not only does it provide us with the ability to complete additional projects, it also provides meaningful opportunities for individuals to gain valuable industry skills. It’s a win-win-win situation for all.”

For five years, the partnership has strengthened workforce skills, increase and developed the labour pool for an in-demand occupation, enhanced the skill sets of under-represented groups in the labour market, and better aligned regional workforce development activities to provincial needs, says the College. 

Graduates of the program have been known to be employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments, and pipeline, mining, logging, cargo handling, and related companies across Saskatchewan.

“The hands-on aspect of the program is what really sets this training partnership apart. It trains individuals to operate full-sized equipment and work on actual projects in the workforce,” says Jennifer Brooks with Carlton Trail College.