Holland College welcomes role in Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan

Monday, February 13, 2012

Charlottetown, PE - Holland College and other community colleges in the region are already making plans to ensure that the training requirements of the Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan can be met, Holland College's Vice President of Innovation, Enterprise and Strategic Development Michael O'Grady said today.

O'Grady was responding to the announcement of the action plan made earlier today in Dartmouth by the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and La Francophonie, and the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Regional Minister for Nova Scotia.

"For more than 40 years, Holland College has been able to respond quickly and effectively to the training requirements of high priority economic initiatives in Prince Edward Island and in the region, and we are already preparing for the anticipated demand for skilled tradespeople by expanding our related programs," he said. "We are working with our community college partners in Atlantic Canada to ensure that we are all providing relevant, responsive programming."

The anticipated regional economic spinoffs from the Atlantic Shipbuilding Action Plan will be far-reaching, providing Atlantic Canadians with more opportunities for entrepreneurial enterprises than ever before. O'Grady said that Holland College will be responsive to the training requirements of existing and new businesses, helping to ensure that they will have the labour capacity to bid for work as suppliers and sub-contractors.

"Holland College is prepared to support small and medium-sized enterprises in various sectors as the demand for their services increases. We are offering short courses that will enable SMEs to train their workforce quickly and effectively to keep up with the anticipated increase in business activity."

-30-

For media inquiries regarding this release, please contact:
Sara Underwood
Media and Communications Officer
Tel: (902) 566-9695