Grande Prairie, Alta — Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) is getting ready for the school year by opening its new $29 million Skilled Trades Training Centre.
Located at its Grande Prairie campus, the 40,000 sq. ft. facility aims to provide students with industry-aligned training environments designed to support hands-on learning and prepare the next generation of skilled trades professionals.
“The new Skilled Trades Training Centre is a great investment in students and in the future of skilled trades training at NWP,” said Melly Pack, NWP students’ association president. “This kind of local access to modern equipment and hands-on learning opportunities will give students an edge as they build their skills, gain experience, and prepare to enter the workforce.”
NWP’s Skilled Trades Training Centre expands regional skilled trades training capacity to more than 1,500 seats through coordinated program delivery and increased hands-on training opportunities.
Together with skilled trades programming at NWP’s main campus, the Polytechnic now provides apprenticeship and trades training opportunities in 11 distinctive career pathways, including gasfitter, plumber, steamfitter-pipefitter, welder, parts technician, instrumentation and control technician, industrial mechanic, heavy equipment technician, electrician, carpenter, and automotive service technician.
NWP adds that with the completion of the Skilled Trades Training Centre, the next addition to the Grande Prairie campus will be the Northern Edge Technology Centre (NETC).