CAMPAIGN NEWS

Alberta commitment moves SAIT $300 million closer to Trades and Technology Complex

A $300 million dollar investment announced in September by the Government of Alberta will see SAIT Polytechnic break ground next year on a state-of-the-art Trades and Technology Complex (TTC). The commitment by Premier Ed Stelmach was made to a packed house in the Heart Atrium on SAIT’s campus.

The Trades and Technology Complex will provide multidisciplinary programming in the high-demand sectors of energy, construction and manufacturing & automation.

“This funding announcement is a tangible demonstration of the government’s vision for the future and its clear, long-term plan to secure Alberta’s continued success,” says Irene Lewis, SAIT’s President and CEO. “This investment will provide increased educational optionsfor future students and will be welcome news for business and industry hungry for more skilled, knowledgeable workers.”

The TTC will feature flexible-use classrooms, lecture theatres, computer labs, leading-edge workshops and an ‘Exploratorium’ for junior-high students to learn about the potential of trades and technology careers.

Over the past five years, SAIT has had to turn away an average of 4,000 qualified applicants each fall due to lack of space. Once complete, the new complex is expected to engage 8,100 more students each year in hands-on, career-oriented training. This represents a 50 percent increase in the number of apprenticeship spaces and a nearly 30 percent increase for certificate, diploma and applied degree spaces.