Two newly accredited logistics management programs at the College of Northern Canada were inaugurated last week.
The accredited Logistics Management programs: a one-year certificate and a two-year diploma, align with the pathway to the CITT professional designation, a nationally recognized logistics credential, according to officials.
It’s beleived these are the first accredited programs delivered by a private post-secondary institution across all three territories
College of Northern Canada President Dr. Chehrazade Aboukinane welcomed Elders, Indigenous leaders, Minister Cleveland, former MLA Rocky Simpson, and Mayor Ben Hendriksen to the event last week.
Aboukinane credited faculty, Elders, advisors, industry partners, and government leaders for the milestone, calling the accreditation “a new era of student success in the North.”
Mayor Hendriksen says that more opportunities for study and post-secondary study like these, situated close to home in the North, will help the city’s retention of youth and its long-term growth.
“Every opportunity to increase the employability of Yellowknifers and Northerners is a welcome opportunity for our economy. The first two accredited programs from the College are in Logistics Management. Logistics is a field important to every part of life in the North,” added the mayor
The city of Yellowknife, among other jurisdictions in the N.W.T. is facing ongoing challenges around affordability and infrastructure. With a population of about 24,000, Yellowknifers have also felt left out of the same basket of resources historically made more readily available to other urban jurisdictions of the south with denser populations. Without the same level of federal investment in critical infrastructure like education, those looking to pursue post-secondary education in the North have often felt left out in the cold.
“While northern youth, and all adults, have exceptional skills and abilities what is often missing is the qualifications needed to gain employment, and right now Northerners often have to leave the territory to get those qualifications,” Hendrickson adds.
Education advocates in the North have long called for more post-secondary opportunities to be made available.
Agata Gutkouska, manager of Public Affairs and Communications of the Department of Education, told True North FM that the college received a 3-year accreditation in July for their Logistics Management diploma program and their certificate program.
After receiving full accreditation from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, the college’s logistics programs, with their academic level standing, became the first of their kind in the N.W.T.
Former federal minister Harjit Sajjan, who attended the event virtually, highlighted logistics as central to Northern resilience—from wildfire planning to delivering critical supplies to remote communities.
Sajjan described the launch as “a celebration of leadership, innovation, and a commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities across the North.”
The College of Northern Canada joins Aurora College, a long-standing institution in the N.W.T. also working towards boosting post-secondary education avenues. Aurora College, the largest post-secondary education institution in the N.W.T., is in the midst of transitioning into a polytechnic university in an effort to branch out and increase education opportunities for its students. The transformation was originally scheduled for 2025 but has been delayed due to funding issues.
Because these post-secondary training and education programs have received accreditation, students who are enrolled in the programs are eligible for financial support through the GNWT’s Student Financial Assistance program.
With Files from Lisa Iesse, Vista Radio Yellowknife.
