Renovations Begin At NSCC Burridge Campus
Students and staff at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Burridge Campus in Yarmouth will see improvements to their campus beginning today, Oct. 27.
Renovations worth $705,000 at the Burridge Campus are part of the government's $123-million investment in NSCC announced earlier this year and designed to offer more education and learning programs to more students closer to home.
"Our community is positioning itself for a highly skilled and successful workforce," said Natural Resources Minister Richard Hurlburt. "By narrowing the skills gap, we will strengthen our economy and become a prouder, stronger Nova Scotia."
The $123-million investment is part of the government's skills initiative, Skills Nova Scotia. It involves working with partners to upgrade people's skills from basic literacy to the use of the most advanced technologies so they can further their success in education and the workplace. The investment in NSCC will support a multi-year plan to strengthen NSCC, enabling the college to modernize facilities, increase student capacity, and enhance skill-driven learning programs.
"This development is essential, not only for the learners who will influx the labour market with the skills Nova Scotia requires, but it also provokes a new view of learning in Nova Scotia, one that includes a national calibre community college," said Marcel Cottreau, principal, NSCC Burridge Campus.
Over the next seven years, 2,500 additional students -- an increase of 30 per cent -- will enter the college at its rural and metro campuses.
Improvements at the Burridge Campus will upgrade student learning areas and create seats for 87 additional students.
The area undergoing renovation and expansion is located in the compound between the north and east wings of the building. This newly created area will soon house a full two-storey expansion. The first level will include a new library facility for the campus, an employment services centre, an early childhood resource centre and a student commons area that will provide a space for students to access computer technology and a meeting area for students. The space is being designed with an open concept that will be accented with glass and have a small landscaped garden area as a backdrop to the student commons area.
The Burridge facility was originally opened in 1970. In making these renovations, the college is focusing on locating services close to students and to the entrance of the facility, making it easier to access quality learner-centred services.
The renovation work at NSCC Burridge Campus is scheduled for completion in 2005.