On March 19th, Peace River MP Chris Warkentin announced that Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) will receive a $230,000 federal investment to upgrade its power engineering lab. Warkentin explained that the investment is part of his commitment to creating education opportunities for skilled trades’ people in the Peace Country. The objective of these efforts is to promote student retention and fill local vacancies in the trades.

In his words, “I have been committed – and our government is committed – to making sure Peace Country students can get an education here in the Peace Country, so they can fill vacancies here in the Peace. I will continue to advocate for that, because that truly is what will grow the local economy.”

The purpose of the upgrade at GPRC is to enable students to acquire the lab hours necessary for accreditation more quickly, giving them the opportunity to enter the workforce as soon as possible.

GPRC President Don Gnatiuk said the college is “committed to providing responsive and timely opportunities in education, which serve our students, support our industries, and strengthen our communities.”

“This enhancement of our power engineering lab helps us to fulfil that commitment,” he said.

This will be the second federal investment received by Peace Country engineering programs in less than a year.