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Province turns college down for training program

Goal was to train people to work in a business office
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Provincial authorities have turned down a first attempt by Coast Mountain College to return to Houston with an in-person program.

The planned program training people in the essentials of running a business office required provincial financial assistance.

“We continue to explore other funding opportunities for this program in Houston, but we don’t have any leads yet,” said Lorrie Gowen, the college’s workforce training dean.

The plan to offer the program grew out of a committee struck last year by the college, the District of Houston and other community groups to determine local post-secondary needs and then propose training programs to fill those needs.

Having local people trained in running a business office was identified as a local skills need, prompting the college to design a program and submit it to the provincial government’s advanced education ministry for financial support.

The college had closed its campus here in 2017, citing low enrollment and rising costs but encouraging it to return as been on the District of Houston council’s ‘to do’ list since then.

The college has, however, joined in with other agencies such as the school district of offer specific courses and programs.

Houston is also a location where the college offers an on-line educational program initiative called Contact North.

While there won’t be an office skills training program in Houston, the college does want to offer one at its main Terrace campus this fall provided it reaches the required number of registrations.