The Central Alberta Collegiate Institute (CACI) and its partners gathered earlier today to celebrate the official completion of the newly renovated Metals Building at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology. The renovation, made possible through the 2023 collegiate grant from Alberta Education, modernizes the facility to accommodate up to 21 dual credit CACI students per class, equipping them with industry ready skills and preparing them for careers in Alberta’s skilled trades workforce.
In 2023, CACI announced they had been approved as one of the first collegiate programs in Alberta. Alberta Education awarded CACI $4.4 million in funding to renovate the Olds College Metals Building and $2.6 million for similar renovations at Red Deer Polytechnic, marking this one of the largest K-12 collegiate funding investments of important collegiate facility spaces to date. This CACI project at Olds College renovated one of the older welding shop spaces and added a fourth welding shop space, in order to update and expand the number of welding booths available to CACI learners.
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides joined senior leaders from CACI partner organizations, elected board members, staff and Alberta Education representatives for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which included speeches, the official ribbon cutting, a facility tour and insights into the impact of CACI programming on students and industry.
“The demand for skilled tradespeople is on the rise, and Alberta’s economic future depends on ensuring the workforce is ready to meet that need,” said Jackie Taylor, Executive Director, CACI & the Community Learning Campus. “Through partnerships like CACI, high school students gain valuable hands-on experience and a head start in their careers, positioning them for success in post-secondary education and the job market.”
“Our CACI partnerships make this scale of training possible for students across central Alberta,” adds Taylor. “This level of career readiness training is key to our youth being prepared for the challenges of career training and successful transition into the apprenticeship workforce at younger ages than currently noted in provincial statistics. When we position provincial and local resources around youth career readiness, we see tremendous results in student confidence, career certainty and overall skill development which allows them to successfully leap immediately into an apprenticeship placement. We are very grateful for the focus of youth career development by Alberta Education through the continued support of facilities like this transformation of space at Olds College, as well as their continued support of the programming that we will be able to offer from this location and more like this across the province.”
CACI is the successful collaboration of four partnering school divisions (Red Deer Public Schools, Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division, Wolf Creek Public Schools and Chinook’s Edge School Division), two post-secondary institutions (Olds College and Red Deer Polytechnic) and CAREERS, a not-for-profit organization that collaborates with schools to connect youth with employers, providing valuable paid internship opportunities and the start to important apprenticeship careers.
Since the inception of dual credit programming in Alberta, the CACI partners have expanded student participation in dual credit courses from a handful to thousands across central Alberta. Career readiness programming has grown from a few courses to dozens of offerings across multiple career pathways, with continued focus on future expansion. CACI is a key partnership that will continue to grow and expand offerings for students across our region. Early exposure to career experiences and dual credit learning, like these skilled trades offerings within the CACI model, has proven to boost student engagement, increase graduation rates and support successful transitions into post-secondary education and skilled careers.
The modernization of the Metals Building at Olds College underscores the province’s commitment to strengthening Alberta’s skilled trades workforce through innovative educational partnerships. With the continued support of government, industry and education partners, CACI is shaping the next generation of skilled trades professionals, ensuring they are workforce-ready and prepared to contribute meaningfully to Alberta’s economy.
