EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Government of Saskatchewan’s 2021/22 budget provided post-secondary institutions (PSI) funding certainty over the next four years. The multi-year investment in our sector is unprecedented. It provides our institutions stable funding in an uncertain social and economic environment and strategically focuses on becoming financially sustainable. North West College’s (NWC) 2021-2024 Business Plan is based on innovation and providing students’ access to quality programs/services that will lead to learner success, long-term labour market attachment and career achievement in anticipation that we will remain under a State of Emergency in the near future. As institutional preparedness for the health and safety of our staff, students and community remains a primary focus, all program and course plans in at least 2021/22 will continue to operate in a controlled blended environment for staff and students. All program/service plans will adhere to our established Exposure Control Plan. This plan is continuously updated/amended to remain in alignment with the principles set out by the Government of Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Health through established Public Health Orders, the Ministry of Advanced Education, the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, the Regional Colleges Act, the guidelines of the Association of Saskatchewan Regional College (ASRC), and our institutional partners. In addition to the above-mentioned principles, the College will ensure all College operations will be in alignment with Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan (2020-2030)1 (SDG), the Ministry of Advanced Education 2021/22 Plan2 as well as the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training 2021/22 Plan3 . Preparing our 2021-2024 plan was challenging given the uncertain times in which we continue to operate. As a result, NWC’s Board extended its 2018-2021 strategic plan for an additional year. The College will continue to focus on the following four themes: i) Building an Employable Labour Force. ii) Fostering Student Success. iii) Developing NWC into a College of Choice, and iv) Cultivating a High-Performance Organization. Recognizing that the impacts of the pandemic have not been equally evident across all areas of the province and country, NWC conducted a thorough labour market assessment at the local, provincial and national levels. Based on our findings, the major industries (pre and postpandemic) in our region include health care, retail trade, public administration, education, accommodation and food services, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, tourism, finance and insurance, construction, and oil and gas. Other areas of consideration are artificial intelligence, remote automation, cybersecurity, environmental protection, and geographic information

1 Government of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/103260/formats/114516/download

2 Ministry of Advanced Education, Plan for 2021-22, https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/112414/formats/126400/download

3 Ministry of the Immigration and Career Training, Plan for 2021-22, https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/112414/formats/126409/download

systems. Over the next three years of this plan, NWC will focus on providing subsidized and nonsubsidized programming in the areas mentioned above (including through micro-credentials). As a result of the influx of funding the College will receive in 2021/22 and 2022/23, NWC will focus on establishing an institutional infrastructure and culture that will embrace addressing emerging labour market trends in region and will transition to becoming self-sufficient and less reliant on provincial funding. NWC is committed to continual improvement in all areas of operations and remains focused on supporting initiatives that best serve the communities, economy and students within our region. The strategic priorities for 2021-2024 include: i) Becoming sustainable by 2025/26 by expanding upon our current economic diversification strategies, implementing cost/expense containment and reduction strategies, and effectively utilizing College reserves. ii) Continued planning, developing and securing support for a new Battlefords Campus, and iii) Continued focused and strategic adaptation of all operations during the current State of Emergency and the impacts of COVID-19. Various assumptions have been articulated in this plan, and based on those assumptions, NWC will be vigilantly focused on achieving financial sustainability by 2025/26. However, the success of achieving this goal will be dependant on a number of factors which are out of the control of the College. Given the above, the College is projecting full utilization of program funding in 2021/22 with approximately 41 more FLE’s than 2020/21 and an operating deficit of $76,648. Even in this time of economic uncertainty, NWC’s 2021-2024 plan development was to ensure we play a contributing role in helping Saskatchewan achieve its economic recovery goals and objectives through our continued commitment to our students, staff and communities we serve.