2020-2021 NWC Business Plan

2020-2021

BUSINESS PLAN

BUSINESS PLAN June 26, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................2 COLLEGE OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................4 A. 2020-21 INSTITUTIONAL PLAN ...............................................................................7 B. STRATEGIC INITIATIVES ....................................................................................... 22 C. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING................................................................................ 28 D. PROGRAMMING ..................................................................................................... 32 E. HUMAN RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 50 F. SUSTAINABILITY ................................................................................................... 52 G. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.............................................................................. 53 H. INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT ..................................................................... 55 I. 2020-21 BUDGET ................................................................................................... 57 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 62 APPENDIX A – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS APPENDIX B – STA PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN APPENDIX C – ESSENTIAL SKILLS (ABE) PROGRAM PLAN AND RATIONALE APPENDIX D – ESL ENROLMENT PLAN

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020/21 Business Plan presented is one of innovation during the unprecedented times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. North West College (NWC) is committed to a cautious and methodical approach before officially reopening our facilities for staff and the public. Our phased approach will take into account the overarching 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 alignment with the Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan (2020/2030), the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, the Ministry of Advanced Education 2020-21 Plan as well as the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training 2020-21 Plan.

Institutional preparedness is paramount for the health and safety of our staff and students. All program and course plans must adhere to the guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health and established Public Health orders, as Saskatchewan continues to operate under a State of Emergency. The College continues to monitor daily the current guidelines and changing situation in Saskatchewan.

Furthermore, NWC has in place an Exposure Control Plan and will continue to adjust, adapt and implement any new restrictions or guidelines that come into effect regarding gathering limits, social distancing and cleaning and sanitizing protocols. This plan is all-encompassing and addresses safety procedures and protocols required during any form of health and safety situation that could adversely impact our students, staff and College community including and not limited to pandemic situations.

Preparing the program plan for 2020/21 during these unprecedented times has been challenging, and as a result, a number of factors beyond the control of the College will affect program delivery and design, student participation and success and revenues/expenses incurred. The timing of some of the information and decisions by external organizations can create significant planning and reputational risk for the College. In the end, NWC has ensured we are presenting a plan that focuses on student success and retention, is alignment with our strategic plan, and will ensure we will be in continual compliance with the everchanging public health and safety requirements.

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Strategic priorities for 2020/21 include: a) Continued planning and developing demonstrated support for a new Battlefords Campus, (pending relevant approvals). b) Understanding the importance of establishing an operational infrastructure that will enable the College to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on government funding, NWC is also committing to Enterprise Risk Management and Economic Portfolio Diversification initiatives (including but not limited to business development, foundation/development, international education, etc.). c) Adaptation of all operations in the current State of Emergency and the PostCOVID-19 new normal.

As are result, our 2020/21 Business Plan has been developed anticipating and planning for following: a) We will be operating under a blended service delivery model, and the time student are required on campus will vary by program, b) We are anticipating less students, smaller class sizes, delayed program starts, and fewer programs, c) Students will be supported through fluid and flexible online and in person (where necessary) interactions, d) We will invest time and resources to better support staff and students through technology and training, and e) We will invest time and resources for the continued and enhanced implementation of our Exposure Control Plan.

Given the above, the College is projecting full utilization of program funding with approximately 200 less FLE’s and an operating deficit of $35,746.

Even in this time of economic uncertainty, North West College plays a major role in the economic sustainability of rural northwest Saskatchewan. The Management of NWC understand that role and are committed to growing a strong economy and strong communities for today and for tomorrow.

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NORTH WEST COLLEGE – OVERVIEW One-third of Saskatchewan’s First Nations communities sit within the boundaries of NWC, with 28% of the approximate 98,000 residents in the region declaring Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, and Inuit) descent versus the 16% across the province. Also, according to the 2016 Census of Canada, Indigenous youth, aged 14 and under, represent 33.7% of the total Indigenous population, while nonIndigenous children aged 14 and under, accounted for 16.7% of the nonIndigenous population. The NWC catchment area is younger, and our Indigenous population is growing faster than the provincial average. Coupled with the unique demographics in our region are the lower than average education attainment rates of Saskatchewan’s Indigenous population, necessitating a robust adult learning infrastructure to support learners in their conversion to the workforce.

In order to be relevant and accessible to our wide-ranging communities, NWC has committed to a distributed model of program delivery. The College serves northwest Saskatchewan with two main campuses - one in the Battlefords and the other in Meadow Lake. In addition, each year the College delivers programs in approximately 15 rural communities. Although we primarily deliver ABE programs in communities outside urban areas, about 35% of Skills Training seats are delivered off campus.

NWC is one of the largest regional colleges in Saskatchewan serving approximately 2600 distinct students or 885 FLE students and representing 21% of the system (2018/19). It is also one of the province’s major providers of ABE, representing over 25% of regional college enrollments in 2018/19. NWC delivers brokered curriculum while providing personalized support critical to student success. In addition to Institute Credit programs, NWC has traditionally chosen to invest in University programming to meet the demand of our students and industry in our region. Whether it is ABE, Institute Credit or University programming, Indigenous students represent the majority of this student body with 59% selfidentifying as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

NWC is also experiencing steady demand in English as an Additional Language (EAL) programming in light of increased immigration to the NWC region. With this diverse and often vulnerable population, our Student Services provide the valueadded and individualized guidance needed to remove barriers to student success and addresses labour market needs. A comprehensive intake process, regular NORTH WEST COLLEGE 2020-2021 BUSINESS PLAN

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meetings with Student Services staff, career counselling and job coach services ensure that students feel valued through their education experience and supported as they successfully enter into the labour market.

As seen in Figure 1, major industries in the region include health care, education, social services, forestry, retail trade, agriculture and oil. Few resource-sector companies have corporate offices within the region. As such, extra resource allocation is required for partnership development and to identify and assess labour market needs. NWC interacts with numerous small to medium-sized businesses within the region, and it reaches out to corporate headquarters elsewhere in the province or across Canada.

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Figure 1. Map of North West College Region



95,000 residents in 2 cities, 48 towns and villages, 29 RMs and 26 First Nations1



28% Indigenous descent2



Home of 1/3 of Saskatchewan’s First Nations Communities3



48% under age of 354



Major industries: health care, education, social services, forestry, retail trade, agriculture, oil

1

2016 Census of Canada, Province of Saskatchewan Division 16, Division 16, Town of Battleford, Sweetgrass FN and Mosquito FN. Also referenced in analysis Community Profiles for First Nations Communities, INAC (August 30, 2017) 2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

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A. 2020/21 INSTITUTIONAL PLAN In these unprecedented times, NWC’s 2020/21 Business Plan has been developed using the following assumptions: a) Because of the unique student body compared to other post-secondary institutions in Saskatchewan, and in order to ensure quality delivery and retention of students, all programs will require some time on campus. b)

The time required on campus will vary by program.

c)

All programs will be delivered through blended delivery modalities.

d)

There will be a 0% increase in tuition as stated by our partnering institutions.

e)

Enrollment will be lower due to several contributing factors such as: social distancing/gathering sizes as related to physical classroom space; and student preference of not enrolling into programs delivered using a blended delivery model.

f)

Enrollment will be lower due to some Indigenous communities will not support students from their communities taking programs being delivered in a blended or online delivery format.

g)

Enrollment will be lower due to some Indigenous communities that do not have either access to internet service, or students in those communities cannot afford to pay for those services in order to effectively participate in blended or online delivery formats.

h)

The College will prioritize delivering programs that could not be completed in 2019/20 due to pandemic and provincial State of Emergency in the 2020/21 academic year.

i)

Due to classroom size and facility usage limitations, there will be fewer seats available. As a result, fewer Under 22’s will be taking Adult Basic Education.

j)

Local businesses may not prioritize workforce training, nor support work placements for students in the Fall.

k)

The province remains in a State of Emergency for the foreseeable future, and the pandemic will impact College operations for the full 2020/21 academic year.

l)

The College will require additional technology support for staff and students.

m) Implementation of health and safety protocols will increase costs.

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n)

Staff training will increase costs.

o)

Technology needs will increase costs.

p)

Strategic plan targets will be impacted in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Strategic Planning Overview On July 1, 2018, NWC launched a comprehensive, multi-year, strategic plan - In Business for Students – Strategic Plan 2018-21 (the 18/21 Plan). Using the balanced scorecard method, actionable key performance indicators have been established with annual benchmarks of achievement and accountability. All aspects of NWC’S mandate were taken into consideration in the development of this strategic plan to ensure alignment with government priorities identified in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, and other guiding documents from the Ministries of Advanced Education and, Immigration and Career Training.

The 2018/21 Plan continues the success of Leaders Building Community – Strategic Plan 2015-18 which established four themes: a)

building an Employable Labour Force;

b)

fostering Student Success;

c)

developing NWC into a College of Choice; and

d)

cultivating a High-Performance Organization.

These themes remain in the new plan but our matrixes have been focused on the areas where the greatest impact can be achieved for the betterment of our students and the institution.

In addition to above, two major initiatives were introduced which have required a shift in our organizational structure and business model; a)

The infrastructure project exploring the construction of a new campus in the Battlefords.

b)

The development of a robust economic diversification strategy to lessen dependency on provincial government operating funds and address the programming needs of business and industry.

Like all well-developed strategic plans, our key performance indicators (KPI) work in alignment to support success. These two projects are no exception. The NORTH WEST COLLEGE 2020-2021 BUSINESS PLAN

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construction of a new campus in the Battlefords will provide the space for innovative program delivery, additional programming, and capitalization on untapped revenue streams. As exemplified in the following tables, several of our indicators work to support these new initiatives and, in some cases, are dependent on their growth and success.

For the purposes of accountability and transparency, we have expanded the standard reporting chart to include our annual quantitative measures around NWC’s strategic initiatives.

Theme 1 : Employable Labour Force Accessible and Responsive In direct alignment with the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, North West, “engages with industry, Indigenous organizations, [and] economic development organizations to address economic and labour market issues”5 facing our region’s significant Indigenous population. As the home to 1/3 of Saskatchewan’s First Nations communities, NWC plays an important role in growing Indigenous participation in the economy. In partnership with Tribal Councils and First Nation administration, our staff and programs have an active presence in our First Nation communities. These valued and trusted relationships have been cultivated and nurtured for decades. As a result of these relationships, NWC is able to collaborate with Indigenous partners to provide accessible programming in, or near, home communities where students can draw on their family and cultural supports to enroll and succeed. The College may be challenged to commit to our normal practices based on COVID-19 and the restrictions in place. The First Nations communities have also put in place health and safety measures that may prohibit our normal partnership activities.

5

Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, p. 34.

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C1 - Employ graduates Every year NWC’s Student Services team conducts post-graduate interviews with all recent graduates (60-90 days post-grad) to discuss their employment status. In 2018/19 with 60% reporting, NWC had an 83% Employment and Further Education Rate, which was below of baseline of 87% (2015-17, See Table 1). This indicator did not reach the required reporting threshold of 80% likely due to respondent fatigue and student transiency. In 2019/20, prior to COVID-19, mitigating strategies were implemented to ensure current student addresses upon program completion to facilitate an improved response rate. In the post-COVID-19 reality, while students may be more easily contacted, employment and further education rates may be impacted by reduced job opportunities and accessible program modality.

This target may be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

C2 - Connect students to employment Meaningful work place experiences are critical to supporting the transitions between education, training and employment. As indicated in Table 1 below, 2018/19 experienced healthy growth in the number of programs offering work placements. Prior to COVID-19, the 2019-20 target was on track with 4 out of 5 programs planning to offer a work placement opportunity. As a result of COVID19, many of these programs had to withdraw this opportunity, which negatively impacted 2019/20 results. Post COVID-19, the ability to offer work placements will continue to be challenging as employers focus on rehiring of staff and may not have the capacity to take on students at least in the immediate future.

C3 - Build a labour force representative of our region In 2018/19, NWC experienced a significant increase in Indigenous Institute Credit Enrollment rates jumping to 78%, which is well above the institutional target of 59% or the Ministry of Advanced Education target of 60% by 2021.6 A key contributing factor for this increase is directly linked to the successes and efforts of our Business Development unit. In 2018/19, this department worked with several First Nations partners to offer contract programming on reserve increasing our onreserve Institute Credit programs by seven programs. These contracts will vary annually based on First Nation needs assessments. Several contracts that were developed for the third and fourth quarters of 2019/20 were suspended due to

6

Ministry of Advanced Education, Ministry of Advanced Education Plan for 2020-21, p 6.

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COVID-19. This may negatively impact Indigenous Institute Credit Enrollment as well as the plan’s target for Revenue from Contracts (P3(2) Table 4). Fortunately, many of these contracts were deferred and may be actualized in 2020/21 depending on how we are able to proceed with operations based on provincial restrictions and Public Health Orders. In addition to First Nation contract training, Indigenous participation and graduation is likely to be impacted in all program areas due to the modality of learning, the interest in learning in this fashion, and the ability to gain sponsorship to participate in alternative delivery.

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Table 1. In Business for Students –Strategic Plan 2018-2021 – Employable Labour Force

Government of Saskatchewan Goal: A Strong Economy Saskatchewan Plan for Growth Goal: Growing Indigenous participation in the economy through the growth of Saskatchewan’s natural resource industries and labour market development.7 Ministry of Advanced Education Goal: Meet the post-secondary needs of the province Ministry of Immigration & Career Training Goal: Employers have workers with the right skills, at the right time

North West College Goals: C1. Employ graduates C2. Connect students to employment C3. Build a labour force representative of our region Objectives: C1. Post-graduate employment supports C2. Student connections to employment C3. Diversify student body Institution Strategies:

C1. Increase Institute Credit and ABE Level 3 &4 graduates who are employed or are pursuing further education, in 60-90 day follow up C2. Increase percentage of programs with workplace experiences including placements and practicums C3.(1) Increase proportion of Indigenous students in Institute Credit programs C3.(2) Increase the equity group graduation rate for Institute Credit programs Institution Performance Measures:

Baseline

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

87%

88%

89%

90%

83%* 70%

80%

90%

75% 59%

60%

60%

78% 66%

68%

70%

C1. Graduation Success and Employment rate

(2015-17)

Result C2. Programs with work placement rate

62% (2015-17)

Result C3.(1) Indigenous Institute Credit enrollment rate

58% (2015-17)

Result C3.(2) Indigenous Institute Credit graduation rate

63% (2015-17)

Result

66%

* Results are below the 80% statistical validity threshold.

7

Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, p. 1.

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Student Success Accountable In direct alignment with the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, NWC plays an important role in the “foundational education, training and student development system to prepare our youth to succeed in the economy once they graduate.”8 NWC builds upon discipline-specific, practical training by investing in students’ personal growth and development. Leadership and professional development skills are critical in easing pathways between education, training and employment.

Always remaining accountable to our mandate and mission, NWC recognizes that student and employment services are foundational in improving labour market retention rates. NWC understands the quality of our student’s educational experience directly contributes to our retention rates, graduation rates and the leadership skills development.

C4 - Retention Rate Student Retention remains a post-secondary staple of institutional health and adequate students supports. As reflected in Table 2, in 2018/19 NWC experienced significant growth in Institute Credit and ABE Credit program student retention, exceeding the annual goal for this indicator. Prior to COVID-19, the 2nd Quarter 2019/20 retention rate was on par with previous mid-year results (83%) and all indications suggested the College would meet its 2019/20 annual goal.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, many of our students faced unforeseen barriers to success such as the lack of childcare, lack of reliable internet, and difficulty with alternative delivery methods. Despite the best efforts of NWC staff, this indicator may be negatively impacted by COVID-19 in both 2019/20 and 2020/21.

8

Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, p. 30.

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C5 – Graduation Rate In 2018/19, (Table 2), the College experienced a withdrawal rate much higher than the usual five-year average. This in turn impacted the graduation rate. In 2019/20, prior to March 15th, programs were progressing with healthy retention. PostCOVID-19, the graduation rate may be negatively impacted due to similar factors as the retention rate as noted above. NWC will continue to support students in overcoming academic barriers during these exceptional times, although community supports are critical to both retention and graduation and are difficult to cultivate to their fullest in a digital environment. As such, there is the potential to fall short of the benchmark in 2020/21.

C6 – Develop Leaders As outlined in Table 2 below, developing leadership skills among our students remains a strategic objective for NWC in the 2018/21 Plan. Students are invited to partake in local projects working towards a Community Builders Leadership Award.

These projects are designed to ensure students will be able to learn and demonstrate several interpersonal skills including: a)

leadership and professional development;

b)

career development;

c)

community engagement; and

d)

campus mentorship.

While several students are invited to partake in these activities, a rubric has been developed for those students wishing to pursue the formal award. This Community Builders Award can be added to a student’s professional portfolio for consideration by prospective employers. Prior to COVID-19 this program had two awards granted in 2018/19 with healthy growth projected for 2019/20. As a result of the pandemic, the award rubric will need to be adjusted to reflect the cancelation of several activities at the end of 2019/20. The program will need to be adjusted in 2020/21 to adhere to social distancing requirements and may be impacted by lack of community cohesiveness. Regardless of the barriers, building leadership skills in our students remains a strategic priority.

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As the Province of Saskatchewan is reviewing the utilization of micro-credentials, this initiative is an ideal example of how students can obtain a digital microcredential for the skills they obtain through this activity.

Table 2. In Business for Students – NWC Strategic Plan 2018-2021 – Student Success Government of Saskatchewan Goal: A Strong Economy Saskatchewan Plan for Growth Goal: Developing an Agile and Integrated Education and Training System Ministry of Advanced Education Goal: Student success in post-secondary education Ministry of Immigration & Career Training: Saskatchewan is an attractive place for its residents to build their careers and for interprovincial and international migration North West College Goals: C4. Retain students C5. Graduate students C6. Develop leaders Objectives: C4.& C5. Student retention strategy C6. Community Builders Leadership Award program Institution Key Actions: C4. Increase the percentage of completers and graduates in Institute Credit and ABE Credit programs C5. Increase the overall graduation rate in Institute Credit and ABE Credit programs C6. Baseline year for program. Students must complete a balance of internal and external volunteerism and leadership activities in order to achieve this award Institution Performance Baseline 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Measures: C4. Student retention rate

71%

73%

75%

77%

77% 58%

61%

65%

3 Recipients

4 Recipients

(2015-17)

Result C5. Graduation rate

55% (2015-17)

Result C6. Students who achieve this award

Establish Baseline (2018-19)

Result

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52% TBA 2 Recipients

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College of Choice Quality In direct alignment with the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, North West’s third strategic theme focuses on the “expansion of partnerships between industry and education so that students can build the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to succeed in the world of work”.9 NWC prides itself on its partnerships. As a result of these relationships, NWC has nearly doubled scholarship revenue since 2014 to the benefit of all post-secondary students.10 NWC is also measuring the number of students who are able to pursue their studies due to partnerships and the revenue generated by such relationships. As the remaining quality indicators in our process-driven theme demonstrate, such as our commitment to two annual Work Integrated Leaning (WIL) pilots, NWC is committed to becoming the institution of choice for our region.

P1 - Attract students Increasing the enrollment and educational attainment of students is our region remains a strategic focus for NWC. In 2018/19, the overall enrollment rate for all programs projected in the Business Plan (thus excluding contract training) remained relatively stable at 89% (see Table 3). The initial assessment of the enrollment rate for 2019/20 was also on track prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Projecting enrollments for 2020/21 is relatively difficult given the tremendous uncertainty around the uptake of fall programming, our students desire to pursue alternative program delivery and the ability of qualifying students to obtain funding from sponsoring agencies. While we have taken mitigating actions such as reducing program offerings and launching an aggressive advertising campaign, this indicator may still be negatively impacted for the 2020/21 year.

P2 - Diversify program delivery NWC understands the importance of partnerships with employers and community organizations to incorporate Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities for students. In 2018/19 and in 2019/20, NWC met and exceeded its strategic goal of developing at least one WIL project at each campus location and fostering its continued development. In 2020/21 creating WIL projects will be a challenge in an 9

Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth, p. 30.

Scholarship Revenue generated in region in 2014/15 $35,000 while in 2018/19 it was $$65,203.

10

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alternative delivery format but will remain a focus. The College will ensure regular engagement with employers, industry associations, training institutions, and chambers of commerce to identify and address emerging labour force trends and potential WIL opportunities for our students.

P3 - Cultivate partnerships Partnerships are critical to our business in a myriad of ways. As measurement of these relationships, P3 – Cultivating partnerships includes the quantitative assessment of students served through partnership, scholarship revenue and third party revenue. In the 2018/19 year, the Economic Diversification Strategy garnered its first returns, exceeding not only the annual benchmark for the indicator but surpassing the final annual benchmark of the plan - garnering $1.3M in thirdparty revenue (Refer to Table 3). Growth remained healthy in 2019/20 with over $681,000 reported at second quarter. With the outbreak of COVID-19, some contracts had to be put on hold which will negatively impact the overall income for 2019/20. In 2020/21, some of these contracts will be reinstated but new contracts may be fewer given the economic downturn and competing priorities of our partners. This indicator may be negatively impacted by COVID-19 in both 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Students served through partnerships will be negatively impacted in 2020-21, as sponsorships for students may not be available and contracts may be reduced.

The depth and breadth of our partnerships with Indigenous agencies creates significant risk for these indicators. The interdependency that exists between the College and its Indigenous partners will impact enrollments, contracts, students served through partnership and all areas of College business during and after COVID-19.

In terms of scholarship revenue, NWC has mitigated its risk through rotating multiyear donor contract renewals to ensure ongoing donors contracts should remain stable. Unfortunately, one major fundraising event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and if other annual fundraising events in 2020/21 must be cancelled due to social distancing and gathering requirements, scholarship revenue will be negatively impacted in both 2019/20 and 2020/21.

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Table 3. In Business for Students – NWC Strategic Plan 2018-2021 – College of Choice Government of Saskatchewan Goal: A Strong Economy; and Strong Communities Saskatchewan Plan for Growth Goal: Expanding partnerships between industry and education so that students can build the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to succeed in the world of work Ministry of Advanced Education Goal: Meet the post-secondary education needs of the province Ministry of the Immigration and Career Training Goal: Organizational Excellence North West College Goals: P1. Attract students P2. Diversify program delivery P3. Cultivate partnerships Objectives: P1. Student recruitment strategy P2. Diversified program delivery P3. Stakeholder engagement Institution Key Actions: P1. Maximize enrollment in Institute Credit, University, ABE Credit, ABE Level 2 noncontractual, ESWP and EAL P2. Commitment to two new pilot projects annually that connect a range of academic outcomes to the development of work place skills P3.(1) Assess how many students directly benefit from cultivated partnerships. This includes sponsored students, students in contracted programs, school division students, federally funded EAL students and WCB students P3.(2) Increase revenue from industry and other third party contracts P3.(3) Increase in net profits generated from all non-government donations and fundraising events Institution Performance Baseline 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Measures: P1. Enrollment Rate

91%

92%

93%

94%

2 new projects

2 new projects

48%

50%

$1,260,947

$1,279,861

$1,299,059

$1,323,298 $50,000

$55,000

$60,000

(2015-17)

Result P2. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Initiatives Result P3.(1) Students served through Partnerships Result P3.(2) Revenue from contracts

89% No Baseline (2018-19)

2 new projects On Track

44%

46%

(2016-18)

38% $1,242,312 (2012-17)

Result P3.3 Scholarship Donor Investment

$41,000 (2014-17)

Result

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$65,203

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High-Performance Organization Accountable and Sustainable In direct alignment with the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, NWC is committed to building strong communities by investing in infrastructure. In the 2018/21 Plan, the two substantive changes to NWC’s strategic direction are concerned with sustainability and our continued growth as a high performance organization. The first is the pursuit of a stand-alone campus in the Battlefords and the second is the development of an economic diversification strategy to lessen our dependence on tenuous provincial funds. The final NWC strategic theme emphasizes growth and sustainability in our continuing development as a high-performance organization.

This theme and its underlying objectives directly aligns with the Ministry of Advanced Education goal of ensuring “Saskatchewan’s post-secondary sector is accountable and sustainable”11, with purposeful adherence to the Ministry of the Immigration and Career Training goal of “organizational excellence”12.

GS1 - Invest in people While the College facilitates employer investment in their workforce, NWC is also committed to leading by example, supporting its own highly trained staff to improve retention and employee satisfaction. In 2018/19, the NWC staff engagement rate exceeded expectations with 89.5% of staff reporting that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their employment experience at the College (See Table 4). This is a direct result of investments in training programs, service recognition policies, and a robust Employee and Family Assistance Program. The Staff Engagement Survey is conducted annually in March in order to garner the most responses before instructor’s contracts expire in May and June. Unfortunately, in 2019/20 this survey was not completed due to the competing and urgent transition of our staff to alternative work locations in March. This process included multiple contact points with staff to ensure a smooth transition including the assessment of ergonomic, technological needs, and a survey to understand the challenges of alternative work arrangements. Based on the positive feedback from staff during this transition period, it is likely that this indicator will remain on track for 2020/21.

11 12

Ministry of Advanced Education Plan for 2020-21, p 7.

Ministry of Immigration and Career Training for 2020-21, p. 5.

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GS2 - Enhance infrastructure As will be outlined in Section B, NWC continues to work towards a new campus in the Battlefords. In 2019/20, the College completed a Feasibility Study in consultation with Ross W. Marsh Consulting Group Inc. and submitted an updated Business Case. This work was not impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 and remains on track. The need for more space is even greater given the current pandemic, wherein the College will need to offer fewer seats in programs due to the size and number of classrooms available at the Battlefords Campus.

GS3 - Manage risk Introducing and embedding a culture of Enterprise Risk Management has been a strategic priority for NWC since 2018 with the target of reaching evergreen status in 2021. This strategic focus has given the College a distinct advantage in the current State of Emergency. The senior management and staff already understand the process of risk assessment and mitigation and as such are able to pivot quickly to meet our changing circumstances. The College has developed an Exposure Control Plan and has begun implementation with the reintegration of staff and services. This comprehensive plan is supported by the Ministry of Health. All staff not directly engaged in program and service delivery continue to work from home to support provincial efforts to flatten the curve. ERM has proven vital in ensuring staff and student safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is unlikely that the current State of Emergency will negatively affect this indicator.

GS4 - Diversify portfolio As discussed in P3.2 Revenue from Contacts, and illustrated in Table 4, the diversification of the College’s economic portfolio exceeded expectations in 2018/19 and was on track to do so again in 2019/20 prior to the outbreak of COVID19. As will be discussed in Section 2, the portfolio diversification project is more than contract revenue, it includes the exploration of internationalization and stakeholder engagement. In terms of the Strategic Plan, this project remained on track in 2019/20 prior to COVID-19. Highly dependent on the health of the economy, there remains tremendous volatility regarding this indicator in the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 periods.

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Table 4. In Business for Students – NWC Strategic Plan 2018-2021 – High Performance Organization Government of Saskatchewan Goal: A Strong Economy Saskatchewan Planforfor Growth–Goal: communities by investing in Table 4. In Business Students NWCBuilding Strategicstrong Plan 2018-2021 – High Performance infrastructure Organization Ministry of Advanced Education Goal: Saskatchewan’s post-secondary sector is accountable and sustainable Ministry of the Immigration and Career Training Goal: Organizational Excellence North West College Goals: GS1. Invest in people GS2. Enhance infrastructure GS3. Manage risk GS4. Diversify portfolio Objectives: GS1. Staff recruitment and retention GS2. Standalone campus in the Battlefords GS3. Enterprise Risk Management GS4. Economic diversification strategy Institution Key Actions: GS1. Increase the percentage of satisfied and very satisfied employees GS2. Create a culturally inclusive campus that acknowledges our majority indigenous student population and addresses limited trades and classroom space GS3. Embedding ERM in College corporate culture GS4. Improve sustainability through new revenue and diversification of portfolio Institution Baseline 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Performance Measures: GS1. Employee Engagement Rate Result GS2. Foundation for build Result GS3. Maturing ERM

86% (2015-18)

Building on existing studies and continuing to mitigate strain ERM Framework and training of board, management and supervisory staff

87%

88%

89%

89.5% Update business case

Finalize partnerships

Begin construction

Individual, dept., and college-wise reenforcement initiatives

Demonstrate and documented commitment to ERM

Implement

Evaluate and revise

On Track Ongoing training to ensure all staff and board have the training to identity and assess risk

Result GS4. New revenue streams Result

No Baseline

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On Track Develop plan On Track

21

B. STRATEGIC INITIATIVES NWC is committed to continual improvement in all areas of operation. Through the 2018/21 Strategic Plan, the College has focused its attention on initiatives that best serve the communities, economy and students of the northwest. As articulated in Section A, these include a focus on increasing our WIL initiatives, improving educational pathways, supporting Indigenization and mental health as well as continuing to mature our Enterprise Risk Management culture. Given our single year strategy in 2020/21, our focus will be on the following three initiatives.

MAJOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 1 - THE NEW BATTLEFORDS CAMPUS The College’s existing Battlefords campus is the region’s primary adult basic education and post-secondary education provider. Its current impact and growth is limited by its facility, limiting NWC’s responsiveness to evolving labour market needs, impacting student achievement and challenging ongoing collaboration with the public or private sector partners to provide critical wrap-around services, such as childcare, food services, counselling for mental health and addictions and cultural space.

Over the past several years, NWC has invested in an assessment framework to determine the best solution to our spatial challenges. NWC is proposing the design and construction of a new, standalone campus in the Battlefords in response to current issues facing the College. To realize growth and to adapt to educational and societal changes, NWC requires a new campus in the Battlefords.

Investment in an enhanced facility is anticipated to support NWC in achieving the following outcomes: a)

Number of credentials awarded - Investment would enable NWC to increase its enrollment, house students on-site, provide students with services that enable their success and offer a more diverse array of brokered programs.

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b)

Educational attainment in the Battlefords - Investment would enable NWC to provide its students with an enhanced quality of life and education, while simultaneously impacting the community through greater retention rates and higher economic output.

c)

Educational attainment for Indigenous people in the Battlefords - A provincial study in 2014 found that Indigenous graduates were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous graduates to have had major childcare and housing challenges during their program. The provision of facilities and services that can integrate the social, cultural, and familial lives into education is one of the most significant desired outcomes from this Project.

This metric is an incredibly important one that directly ties to improving quality of life for all students and their families, and especially Indigenous students.

The rational and need for a new facility has been affirmed through stakeholder engagement and the recent feasibility study. An updated business case has been submitted to the Capital branch of the Ministry of Advanced Education. This case explored several options utilizing industry sanctioned criteria and identified a new build in a new location as the preferred option.

Subject to funding approval North West is seeking additional pre-planning financial support in 2021/22.

In addition to the above, the following planning activities have been performed as of June 26, 2020: a)

Functional Assessment of Facilities (January 2011)

b)

Master Planning Analysis (August 2012)

c)

Economic Impact Assessment (December 2017)

d)

Business Case (April 2019)

e)

Feasibility Study (January 2020)

f)

Business Case Update (April 2020)

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NWC has not made any public commitments related to this Project as of June 26, 2020. However, the College’s interest in moving forward with the Project, including its anticipated functional program, have been communicated with key stakeholders.

The College plans to move forward with the recommendations identified in the Ross W. Marsh Feasibility Study, which recommends continued efforts to secure a major development partner and begin securing financial resources. At least four separate potential partners have expressed significant interest in a partnership for NWC campus development plan. NWC acknowledges supplemental work will be required to analyze the financial feasibility of partnership. Confirmation of a publicprivate-partnership approach would be undertaken in collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan. The College will continue to advocate and develop a strategy to secure financial support for the design phase of the project.

As identified in our feasibility study and business case we have determined a new build in the Battlefords remains a top priority for the College, and the preferred option moving forward.13 MAJOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 2 – ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION MAJOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 1 - THE NEW BATTLEFORDS CAMPUS As with other Colleges in the system, economic diversification remains a key strategic priority for the College. Although, NWC has one of the lowest operational costs in the post-secondary sector in Saskatchewan, in order to maintain programs and services, there is a need to diversify revenue streams and become less reliant on provincial funding.

NWC’s economic diversification strategy is multifaceted, and includes contract programming, internationalization and stakeholder engagement.

Stakeholder Engagement In 2020/21, Business Development will continue to create, develop, and maintain relationships with business, industry, and employers in our region. Stakeholder engagement ensures the College can best fulfill its overall mandate of being responsive and meeting the needs of business and industry. Due to COVID-19, 13

Business Case and Feasibility Study can be provided upon request.

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commitments made with partners in the 2019/20 year will need to be revisited, analyzed and determined if programming is viable. We anticipate in the short term, stakeholder engagement will look and feel differently.

Contract Programming Developing partnerships with business, industry and community partners is key in contract training which NWC has made a priority in our Economic Diversification plan. Areas of significant growth in 2019/20 included First Nations contract training in Adult Basic Education, Institute Credit and Industry Credit throughout the region.

Programs such as ABE Level 2, Food Service Cook, Community Safety Officer, and Security Guard certification was requested by our Indigenous partners and provided where and when it best served the client and community. The type of programming varied from one-day computer or safety ticket training to full 12 or 16-week Institute Credit programs. These programs support new workers entering the workforce and local professional development opportunities.

In 2020/21, we will continue to provide relevant training so employees can have the certification they need to transition to, and maintain employment. We will also endeavour to meet the needs of our communities through suitable programming opportunities for personal growth. In 2020/21, the College will need to take a conservative approach given the current State of Emergency, economic downturn and the pressures on First Nation partners. The mix and program types may also be altered due to the changing priorities of our partners.

Internationalization Internationalization is another service area that NWC has invested in pursuing in 2020/21. The Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre (BIRC) identified a growing need for education among international students already living in the region who are unable to access NWC programs because NWC is not yet a delivery agent.

Working with this long time partner to meet the need of these local perspective students, NWC submitted an application for designation of the International Student Program on December 18, 2019, followed by a site visit on February 27th.

NWC awaits the results of this application to begin the implementation of our strategy. NWC’s desire for designation as a means of both economic diversification

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and regional growth directly aligns with the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth’s objective to “strengthen Saskatchewan’s international relationships”14.

The College’s approach to economic diversification is to meet the identified needs of our region in new and innovative ways. The educational needs of Indigenous communities as well as BIRC clients are not created markets but critical necessities to the continued economic growth of the region. In short, our economic diversification strategy positively contributes to the continued economic growth of northwestern Saskatchewan.

MAJOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 3 – Strategic adaptation due to COVID-19 The third strategic initiative in 2020/21 is the College’s strategic adaptation to the current State of Emergency and effectively positioning the College for long-term sustainability once the effects of this pandemic dissipate over time. Colleges, by their very nature are well suited to major shifts in business practice. Saskatchewan Regional colleges are relatively smaller in size compared to our Universities and Polytechnic, but we are responsive, adaptable and have limited bureaucracy resulting in streamlined and efficient business and program delivery practices.

The current State of Emergency and Public Health Orders pose challenges for all public institutions as we attempt to plan for our upcoming academic year as we are vigilantly focused on ensuring the health and safety of our staff, students and communities. The College is acutely aware of the risks involved with providing programming and services to our students, and our leadership team is viewing this period of one of potential innovation and growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst to re-evaluate past practices, and implement innovative and strategic initiatives to better position the college for sustainable success in the future. Projects such as moving the student application forms online, creating fillable internal forms and digitizing timesheet workflows, were all accomplished in a few short weeks. While necessity leads to innovation, some of these short-term solutions will require recalibration for long-term success.

For instance, in 2019/20 several programs were moved to alternative delivery modalities, but full online learning proved challenging given the absence of an established Learning Management System (LMS) at NWC. For 2020/21, the College invested in Google Classroom as a platform to support blended learning.

14

Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan – The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, p. 14.

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In the long-term, NWC will be working collaboratively with its sector partners to determine the necessity of a system-wide LMS to be in place for 2021/22.

Also in 2020/21, the College will be allocating significant resources implementing elements of our Exposure Control Plan, while at a minimum, ensuring small class sizes and social distancing protocols are adhered to during these times. In order to mitigate risk and reduce the number of people on campus at any given time, the College will be implementing a blended academic and service delivery model. All staff and students will be oriented on all protocols as we move forward with slowly and methodically increasing program/service delivery starting this coming fall.

However, all such plans must be approved by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Advanced Education.

Throughout the COVID-19 State of Emergency, NWC has played a leadership role advocating for, and educating the sector about the digital divide and socioeconomic barriers to success that a blended model presents to our students, as well as the necessity for increased mental health supports for our staff and students. The College will continue this work to ensure inclusive education for all learners.

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C. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING NWC remains a leader in collaboration within our sector working closely with postsecondary partners, community groups and industry to maximize resources. From provincial program planning to the sharing of professional costs and resources, NWC drives partnerships to ensure accountability for provincial funds.

The Management of North West understands that system reductions are necessary. By actively participating and leading various discussions at CEO Council, SAO and SBO Committees, and other such working groups, we continually seek opportunities for improvement (i.e. brokerage, international, pathways, etc.) Through the SAO, SBO and HR committees and CEO council, work continues around collaboration and regional efficiencies as part of the task force initiatives that were introduced in 2018.

Below is an overview of system collaboration initiatives as well as initiatives specific to NWC. Systemic Collaboration – During Phase 1, 2, and 3 of COVID-19 State of Emergency The seven regional colleges have made considerable progress in building strong collaborations over the 2019-2020 fiscal year. This included the re-creation of the Association of Saskatchewan Regional Colleges (ASRC), increased cooperation at CEO Council and continued collaboration at the SAO, SBO and HR tables. It also Involved working closely on our responses to COVID-19. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year we envision these collaborations will focus increasingly on strategic issues that are germane to our colleges, employers and communities. a)

Collaboration under the auspices of the ASRC will continue in 2020-21. Key areas of focus include Board Chairs reviewing shared leadership options as it pertains to the long-term structure of the regional college system, CEOs strengthening relationships with the Ministries of Advanced Education and Immigration and Career Training, and the entire Saskatchewan postsecondary sector (regional colleges, Sask Poly, DTI, SIIT and universities) continuing to improve communications, collegiality and cooperation.

b)

CEO Council and the SAO, SBO and HR committees will align their activities more closely this year, with an emphasis on identifying strategic objectives that impact or are impacted by each group. This is of particular

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relevance as the regional college system continues to coalesce and develop common approaches and solutions to common opportunities and challenges, including those introduced or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include continuing to monitor and report progress on the Regional Colleges Task Force and developing strategic initiatives to extend its impact. This will also include establishing the role of colleges in the development, implementation and delivery of micro-credentials for students within our communities. c)

Blended learning will be the norm in the future and regional colleges envision being leaders in developing and delivering curriculum that is intellectually rigorous, experientially robust and work-place relevant, and that meets the needs of students and employers. They will explore opportunities to brand blended learning for the regional college system and develop common approaches and tools to creating and delivering curriculum where possible.

d)

The regional colleges will focus on collaborative information technology initiatives this year: i) The Regional Colleges’ Information Technology Committee (RCITC), established in 2019-20 by the seven colleges, will provide strategic and operational guidance on the colleges’ IT infrastructure, with the goal of ensuring optimal performance at a reasonable cost that reflects the integrity of the vision, mission, and value statements of the Colleges. ii) The regional colleges expended a lot of effort in 2019-20 developing an Enterprise Resource Planning model applicable to the college system. A “Request for Proposals” document was prepared. With current uncertainty about the issuing of the RFP and potentially addressing the need for an ERP in a different manner, the regional colleges will collaborate with each other and the Ministry of Advanced Education to identify and work towards selecting a solution. iii) With the rapid move to online instruction in March, 2019 resulting from the COVID-19 lockdown, it has become apparent that regional colleges need to strengthen their pedagogy and tools to meet the demands of online learning. They will collaborate on identifying potential technology solutions, making recommendations regarding the best path to take either as individual colleges or as a system.

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e)

The role of International engagement in the regional college system will be examined in the coming year. Colleges that are Designated Learning Institutions will support those seeking this designation and will share best practices to support them as they develop programs.

f)

Colleges conducted bargaining with the union on their own in 2019-20 for the first time. Collaboration will continue this year as the system deals with the impact of COVID-19 on human resources, and the implementation the CBA.

SIIT – Meadow Lake Programming NWC collaborates with SIIT in Meadow Lake by sharing our campus including classrooms, office, computer lab and shop space. SIIT students also have access to the College residence. The College often provides the safety programming for these students. In addition, senior leadership continues to participate in the SIIT Industrial Career Centre Steering committees in North Battleford and Meadow Lake to facilitate regional program planning and avoid duplication.

MLTC contract in collaboration with Northlands College NWC is the main educational partner with Meadow Lake Tribal Council which has reserve communities in both NWC and Northlands College regions. NWC is contracted as the lead delivery institution on many Tribal Council educational initiatives and collaborates with Northlands College when the delivery is located in their geography.

Provincial leadership Further to the above, NWC President & CEO has been actively involved with taking a sector-wide approach that builds on the need and expectation of collaboration: a)

He is the Co-Chair of ASRC, and taking on a leadership role to ensure this organization remains focused on working towards a single vision and voice for the college system.

b)

As the Co-Chair of ASRC, he has been able to ensure that the College voice and position is well articulated and presented in sector calls led by the Ministry of Advanced Education since we have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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c)

As chair of CEO council, he has also arranged for weekly conversations with the Ministry of ICT and CEO’s in a similar manner as in item “b” above.

d)

As the Chair of CEO Council, he has ensured increased and more frequent contact and strategic conversations occur with all CEOs in the College sector. These have been necessary to ensure the above items occur effectively, efficiently, and accurately.

e)

As a result of the above, he has led the creation of college sector-wide subcommittees for the purposes of ensuring colleges are working forward as a singular system as we address major issues. Two such examples include: i)

Created a Pandemic Response Team to establish scenarios for consideration as we prepare for and adjust for the impacts of COVID19. This was a 12-member team with representation of each of the seven colleges at the CEO, SAO, SBO, and HRO levels.

ii) Created a working group to work directly with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Sask Poly with respect to the brokerage model. f)

As the Chair of CEO Council, he has increased the frequency and involvement with our respective SAO, SBO and HRO subcommittees to ensure these committees will be operating with a more strategic focus, and in line with the strategic direction as expected by ASRC and CEO Council.

g)

He has advocated for over a year for the regional colleges to have a voice and official seat on the Saskatchewan Transfer Credit and Learner Pathway Council. The College sector finally has a seat on this council, and as Chair of CEO Council, is the College representative on this council. As a member on this Council, Jay is Co-Chair of the Partnership task force team which is going to strategically focus on partnership engagement and collaboration as it pertains to the vision and direction of this council.

h)

He has also been appointed to the Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board (SHEQAB).

i)

Locally, Jay has been actively engaging with community partners, as well as our local school boards to improve awareness of pathway opportunities that are available to students progressing from the secondary sector to employment, college, apprenticeship or university.

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D. PROGRAMMING Preparing the program plan for 2020/21 during a provincial state of emergency and economic downturn posed many challenges. Some of the challenges with planning is there are so many external factors to the College that will affect program delivery and design, student participation and success and revenues/expenses incurred.

The timing of some of the information and decisions by external organizations can create great planning and reputational risk for the College. In the end, NWC has ensured we are presenting a plan that focuses on student success and retention, while ensuring we will be in continual compliance with the ever-changing public health and safety requirements. As are result, NWC will be delivering programs through a new delivery model, with fewer programs and less students The College has determined the program plan for 2020/21 however, implementation is still tied to the public health orders in place at the time of delivery and implementation of the plan needs to remain flexible. There were some difficult decisions. A few of the programs we planned to deliver will not be available in 2020/21, as well job coaching services for students will be suspended for the fall. The College is also not starting all programs in September as previously planned. Many program start dates have been moved to later in the 2020/21 academic year. Attendance of staff and students and class sizes will also be restricted based on the public health orders and the physical size of our classrooms and facilities. The College continues to be committed to the health and safety of our staff, students and communities.

The College intends to deliver all programs in 2020/21 in a blended fashion.

Blended means a combination of online learning, face-to-face and alternative distance instruction – the amount of face-to-face will be dependent upon the program location, program type and the public health orders we are required to comply with. All programs will be developed to ensure a seamless transition to fully online should there be another outbreak. The College is committed to quality program delivery. The College is committed to establishing a safe and positive learning environment during these unprecedented times. Our intention is to ensure instructors, staff and students are well trained on how to use the technology that will facilitate learning. We are in the process of finalizing other supports for staff and students to better assist them as they continue to adapt and transition to using technology in this new environment. We are committed to our values of integrity, innovation, invested and excellence.

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The College has identified several external factors that will influence successful implementation of the plan. Of significance for North West is Indigenous student participation in all of our programs; 59% of our student body in 2018-19. The College has 26 First Nations communities in our region. The June 4 Ministry Community Access List had 17 of these First Nations communities, of which 14 of them are on lock down and restricting access. This is excellent for public health, however, may significantly impact our ability to serve our communities and have their residents participate in training with the College.

In the pages to follow, there is an overview of programs and services intended to be delivered in 2020/21. Appendices B and C provide a detailed breakdown of programs and financials for ABE and Institute Credit programming along with plan B programs should resources become available. These strategies are based on current labour market needs drawn from comprehensive engagement, however, staying true to our mandate of flexible and responsive programming; the plan may shift to accommodate potential opportunities or obstacles as they present.

Appendix D details plans for English as an Additional Language for 2020/21. The mandatory chart is included below. Note the overall FLEs are lower primarily due to the restrictions of social distancing. The College based our estimated class numbers on the Phase 3 gathering of 15 as we do not have classrooms large enough to accommodate 30 students with social distancing in play. The smaller numbers in a classroom negatively impacted tuition, costs and ultimately resulted in less programs being delivered.

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Table 5. Projected Program Headcount and FLEs Program Categories

Institute Credit

Cap 373

Program Capacity, Projected Enrolments (Full-Time and Part-Time) & FLEs 2019-20 Forecast 2020-21 Budget FT PT FLEs Cap FT PT FLEs 304 86 315.72 320 232 14 281.85

Industry Credit

726

13,94

640

12.54

Industry Non-Credit

129

4.93

90

3.78

ABE Credit

270

511

ABE Non-Credit

408

458 25

University

390.49

212

200

12

283.17

196

197.23

254

156

98

117.29

46

36.87

20

25

28.8

608

879

727.43

Total 1051 1298 1183 *NOTE: ABE non-credit includes EAL and ESWP

945.24

786

Adult Basic Education Adult Basic Education (ABE) programming provides foundational skills development for adults to enter meaningful employment or careers successfully.

Two primary sources of funding exist to support delivery of the comprehensive ABE program at NWC: a)

Funding from the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training in the form of a conditional grant, and;

b)

Third party contributions from school divisions and First Nations communities.

Third party contributions allow the College to expand the number of ABE programs and seats. These additional resources support the College in addressing waitlists.

For 2020/21 a reduced amount of third party funding is anticipated given there are over 200 less seats available in ABE than originally planned for the year. The anticipated reduction of these funds coupled with increased delivery costs results in less programs and less opportunities for students to participate in ABE programming. This is disappointing given, ABE is a valuable investment for the sustainability of the province, reducing crime, poverty, substance abuse, violence, while securing a better quality of life for all citizens of Saskatchewan.

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The need for ABE programming in our region far exceeds the available resources to support foundational and essential skills development. The College is always pressed to determine where programs should be located and for most years the salient factors to consider when choosing successful program locations include: a)

Access to daycare,

b)

Access to transportation,

c)

Access to affordable housing,

d)

Financial supplements,

e)

Appropriate training facilities, as well as,

f)

Commitment and support from Chiefs and Councils.

However, in the unique times of COVID-19, the College needed to also include where can we best safeguard the health and safety of our students and staff and where will we have access to reliable internet.

The College will be delivering ABE programming in a blended fashion. However, given our student demographics the more face-to-face these students can have the greater potential for success. The College blended strategy is not one-size fits all; it is based on program location, program level, course content, internet stability in the community and anticipated student access/affordability. The success of this delivery model is dependent upon student engagement, instructional design, robust authentic assessment, student’s ability to access reliable internet and hardware and training of instructors and students.

Enhancing education and employment outcomes for Indigenous communities in the region continues to be a priority for NWC. We are committed to working very closely and collaboratively with First Nations communities to develop and deliver culturally respectful programs, especially on-reserve. However, planning this spring for on-reserve programs in 2020/21 was very difficult when many of our First Nations communities were on lock-down due to the provincial pandemic state of emergency. As a result, the College has moved many of our on-reserve programs to begin early in 2021 to ensure adequate time to plan in collaboration with our First Nations partners.

NWC understands the foundational role that literacy plays in academic pathways, and continues to address the regional literacy needs, as resources allow. The College had to cancel the Literacy Level 1 program for 2020/21 as the lowest level NORTH WEST COLLEGE 2020-2021 BUSINESS PLAN

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of literacy learning is not conducive to distance delivery. The College’s Level 2 and Essential Skills for the Workplace (ESWP) programs were moved to early 2021 to ensure the outcomes of these programs could be achieved. These programs need more face-to-face contact to build independent learning skills and confidence in themselves as well as the requirement of a work placement as part of the program. These placements could not be guaranteed in the fall given the current state of the economy. The College anticipates the environment will be more supportive of these programs in early 2021.

Overall, the program plan has seven less programs than anticipated for 2020/21 and 214 fewer seats due to programming reductions and smaller class sizes given the need to social distance and the physical area of classrooms. The projected training days is down 28% from 2019/20 business plan. The plan also sees the removal of the incubator Level 3 program given the public health orders and the blended delivery model. We anticipate with more experience in the blended model this and other WIL projects will return to the ABE portfolio.

Table 6 outlines our 2020/21 program plan for ABE, which utilizes the entire ABE conditional grant, ESWP allocation and anticipated levels of third party funding.

The plan demonstrates commitment to our principles and we will be offering programming in 18 locations. Details regarding the programs and those on Plan B can be viewed in Appendix C.

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Table 6. 2020/21 Program Plan for Adult Basic Education Program Type and Location

Business Plan 2020/21 Seats COVID19

Level 4/ Adult 12

Level 3/ Adult 10

Level 2

Literacy & Essential Skills for the Work place

Cut Knife Debden Duck Lake Turtleford Meadow Lake Mosquito FN North Battleford North Battleford – Night TOTAL Level 4 Cut Knife Debden Duck Lake Meadow Lake Mosquito FN North Battleford Thunderchild FN TOTAL Level 3 Ahtahkakoop FN Beardy's Okemasis FN ERP - winter Beardy's Okemasis FN Big River FN Little Pine FN - ERP - winter Meadow Lake - pathways North Battleford - pathways North Battleford – transition Poundmaker Cree Nation Sweetgrass FN TOTAL Level 2 ESWP – Food & Beverage – Meadow Lake ESWP Early Childhood Education - Meadow Lake ESWP - Park worker

Program Length

10 6 12 12 24 12 36 12 124 10 6 12 12 12 24 12 88 12

170 170 170 170 170 170 170 170

12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 120 12 12 12

80 80 80 80 80 80 50 80 80

170 170 170 170 170 170 170 80

60 60 60

Projected Training Days 1,700 1,020 2,040 2,040 4,080 2,040 6,120 2,040 21,080 1,700 1,020 2,040 2,040 2,040 4,080 2,040 14,960 960 960 960 960 960 960 960 600 960 960 9,240 900 900 900

TOTAL ESWP

36

2,700

TOTAL College 2020/21

368

47,980

2019/20 Business Plan

582

66,675

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English as an Additional Language NWC is working in partnership with federal and provincial governments to provide an appropriate level of language training for all new Canadians. Our region is becoming a destination of choice for many of the province’s newcomers, NWC is attempting to serve the increasing needs of immigrants in an effective and efficient manner.

The College finalized a new 5-year agreement with the Federal Government in March 2020. The Province provided a funding letter in June of 2020 which presented a reduction in funding. Economies of scale and cost-effective language training for newcomers can be achieved when the federal and provincial resources are combined for program delivery. The 2020/21 plan has a reduction in traditional LINC classes by one but increased resources for innovative programming related to employment.

It is our intent to deliver EAL in a blended model, however we are concerned about the student receptiveness. The plan is to deliver LINC classes in the Battlefords and Rosthern. Conversation Circles in four rural communities and join forces with ABE ESWP to train newcomers to become ECE workers. Another new initiative is a program for employers to aid in understanding of hiring newcomers. A total of 11 EAL programs anticipating 110 program participants.

Proposed EAL programming can be found in Appendix D. The College will continue to maximize resources to remain accessible and responsive to this growing learner group.

Institute Credit Skills Training Allocation (STA) for 2020/21 is status quo funding however, there was a freeze on tuition rates due to COVID-19. The amount of tuition overall will be down as well due to the smaller class sizes required to meet current public health orders. This along with the need to postpone some programs in the Spring of 2020 and restart/finish them in 2020/21 caused STA to be tight and therefore some planned programs had to be cancelled. Determining the program mix under the economic constraints of the pandemic was challenging. The 2020/21 program plan can be found in Appendix B which includes rationale for each program’s selection. This program plan and its implementation will need to remain flexible as the province continues to be in a state of emergency and public health orders are ever changing.

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The 2020/21 program plan provides a mix of trades training, human/community service, business, and health sector programming identified and supported by industry demand. Training is planned for locations off the main campuses only where student demand provides a sufficient critical mass and employment opportunities exist. The wide array of programs is responsive to regional and provincial labour market demand.

NWC works closely with local health authority representatives in understanding the labour force needs. Recent discussions affirm the continued need for Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Psychiatric Nurses, Continuing Care Assistants (CCA) and addictions/mental health workers in our region. The College will be offering the second intake for Psychiatric Nursing in the fall along with increasing the seats for Practical Nursing in the Battlefords. Two part-time CCA programs were cancelled due to constraints on STA, however three full-time and one part-time program will still be available. Primary Care Paramedic is the first program on our plan B. These programs have greater risk if there is a resurgence in COVID-19 as they have significant reliance on hands-on learning in a clinical setting. The Saskatchewan Health Authority is the largest employer in the region and the College is committed to ensuring they have a locally trained skilled workforce to address recruitment and sustainability issues.

In 2020/21, the College is partnering with Lakeland College to deliver a Community Mental Health post-degree program that has interest not only from the health authority but community health agencies and school divisions. The feedback on this program from the initial cohort was very positive so the College is delivering it again on part-time basis. In addition, the College is now brokering the Early Learning and Child Care course from Lakeland given the decision of Sask Poly to move to a diploma only option. Although there is a labour market need, the College struggles to fill a certificate and did not feel a diploma would be viable. Lakeland always provides access to their D2L learning management platform and resources for our instructors so we anticipate the transition to their program to be seamless.

Local employers have supported the move to this training program as this will get qualified workers in their hands faster.

NWC significantly invests in trades and technologies training. The College offers a breadth of journeyman trade programs from transportation and construction trades to service and hospitality trades. This is necessary given the diverse economy of the northwest where there is no real dominant industry but a concentration of many small to medium sized enterprises – manufacturing,

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forestry, agriculture, tourism, retail and oil. With the STA being constrained, the College decided to convert the full HETTT program to the applied certificate.

Graduates from HETTT program are always able to find employment so the demand exists but affordability of the full program is a challenge this year. The College has a partnership with Robwell Industries who support the plumbing and pipefitting program not only with a facility but also through hiring graduates. Many companies in the northwest work in the northern mining industry, in the Alberta oil fields as well as within the region.

The College has spent the last year developing a new program, Forest to Fork, with the support of three areas within Sask Poly. This program was accredited as an applied certificate in the Spring of 2020. The program includes a mix of Retail Meat Specialist, Food Service Cook and Integrated Resource Management as well as industry credit components. The Forest to Fork program addresses food security, preservation, certified skill development and provides an opportunity to enter three certified programs.

Entrepreneurship is another employment opportunity upon completion of the program. This 20-week land-based program will teach proper techniques in maximizing natural resources, food preparation and storage as well as value added skills. Now the program has been credentialed there is great interest of our First Nation partners for this program unfortunately with the pandemic this program was moved to delivery early in 2021 as it is not conducive to on-line learning.

NWC ensures access to business programming and human/community services training as well. The Business certificate program provides an excellent foundation for many employment opportunities as well as significant transfer credit to university. The College generally offers Office Administration out of both campuses, however, with STA being tight the program on the Battlefords Campus was cancelled for 2020/21. It is important that human services programs are delivered close to home as the return on investment for students takes years given low wages after certification. The Human Services industry also experiences very high turnover creating a perpetual demand. In the Battlefords area, there are multiple employers on-and off-reserves who require the Youth Care training as a base certification. Demand for our graduates is high and many use this program as a pathway to a degree in Social Work.

Students participating in skills training programs develop skills relevant to today’s workplace. NWC adds value to ensure all students have an opportunity to participate in a practical work experience and develop essential skills, even when

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the curriculum does not include these outcomes. WIL projects are a strategic priority for NWC. We may not be able to achieve work placements during the pandemic depending on the health and safety directives at the time and businesses ability to take on students. The College has also identified the need to increase Indigenous participation in Institute Credit programming to produce a more representative labour force within our region and province. These strategies, along with post-graduation support to connect students with employers, assists in ensuring our graduates are employed. These valued added efforts may be more challenging given the current state of emergency.

NWC will be delivering institute credit programs in a blended fashion in 2020/21.

This delivery method is not conducive to all programs, however, during the pandemic our Hairstylist instructors led the system programs in ideas of how to make this program viable, engaging and still meet the outcomes. The College reviewed labour market need, instructor innovation, program viability in a blended fashion, past program success and student demand into consideration when parring down our program strategy due to affordability.

Table 7 reflects the comprehensive array of institute credit skills training programs planned for delivery in 2020/21 to address labour market needs and maximize the resources available. Seat capacity in each program is normally restricted by the brokering institution to ensure program quality through an appropriate staff/student ratio and best use of space available, however, in this year the target enrollments are primarily predicated on the physical size of classrooms and the public health orders in place at the time of planning and will likely represent the maximum enrollment for each program. This table reflects a decrease in student days to the previous year’s business plan.

In addition to the programs in Table 7, the College had four programs impacted by the pandemic in the spring of 2020. The Esthetician program was halted due to the inability to run the practice salon and will resume in the fall of 2020 for three months. The CCA Lloydminster program was also postponed as our instructor was pulled back to the front lines to support the pandemic. This program was extended in the 2020/21 academic year. The Hairstylist program in Meadow Lake began in February 2020 with graduation for these students slated for January 2021 given the interruption in training during the pandemic this program will now graduate students in May of 2021 and there will not be a second intake as planned for this academic year. Practical Nursing in North Battleford needed to shift the program around due to inability to access facilities for clinical in the spring

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however, the graduation date is only moved by a week assuming the students can undertake practicum in the fall. These programs are reflected in Appendix B. The College also delayed the start of some programs to support the challenges of the pandemic and unknowns while planning. The College will need to continue to adjust the 2020/21 program plan and its implementation as the environment shifts.

The College works continually with First Nations and industry partners as they prepare applications for funding opportunities for post-secondary training. These potential initiatives are not reflected in the budget or program plans, but if successful, will increase the overall institute credit training days and opportunities offered by NWC. To build a strong economy, NWC will continue to engage with business, industry, and Indigenous partners to build the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to succeed in the labour market.

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Table 7. 2020/21 Program Plan for Institute Credit

Business

Program

Business Office Administration

Trades and Technologies

Health

Human Services

Sub Total Community Mental Health Early Learning and Childcare Youth Care Worker Sub Total Continuing Care Assistant Continuing Care Assistant Continuing Care Assistant Continuing Care Assistant PT Practical Nursing – Year 2 Practical Nursing - Sem 4 Practical Nursing - Sem 1 Psychiatric Nursing - Year 1 Psychiatric Nursing - Year 2 Sub Total Carpentry Electrician Forest to Fork Hairstylist Hairstylist Heavy Equipment Truck & Transport Plumbing and Pipefitting Professional Cooking Welding Welding Sub Total College Total 2020/21 Business Plan 2019/20

Location

Seat Capacity

Projected Enrollment

Target Training Days

North Battleford

15

12

1,560

Meadow Lake

15

12

2,008

30 12 15 15 42 15 15 12 12 7 14 21 16 16 128 12 12 12 12 12

24 8 12 12 32 12 12 10 6 5 12 19 14 14 104 8 8 8 6 8

3,568 687 1,540 1,790 4,017 1,592 1,592 1,327 360 763 1,020 1,188 1,673 2,231 11,745 747 755 776 1,155 1,820

12 12 12 12 12 120 320 373

8 10 10 10 10 86 246 312

767 877 1,798 1,750 1,700 12,144 31,474 35,092

North Battleford North Battleford North Battleford North Battleford Meadow Lake Big River Lloydminster Meadow Lake North Battleford North Battleford North Battleford North Battleford Meadow Lake Meadow Lake Meadow Lake Meadow Lake North Battleford Meadow Lake Meadow Lake Meadow Lake North Battleford Meadow Lake

*Part-time = PT

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Non-subsidized Programs NWC is committed to delivering industry training that is responsive to regional needs. The College will need to address the backlog of training created by the COVID-19 shut down this spring. The College continues to invest in online, justin-time training to manage costs and ensure industry can obtain accredited workers when they are required. To ensure accessibility, NWC continues to offer face-to-face course offerings of a variety of industry safety programs routinely each month. In consultation with industry partners, NWC has been augmenting our industry credit offerings with additional, recognized safety tickets.

The College delivers industry credit programs by certified trainers to ensure quality and meet industry standards. The robust menu of quality, industry credit training ensures accessibility, both geographically and timely, for employees to maintain or obtain certification required by employers. These courses will have lower enrollments per course due to social distancing and classroom area. This will impact our revenue.

NWC 2020/21 Strategic Plan has significantly reduced revenue targets for contractual training even though diversifying revenue is a priority for the College.

The conservative approach is required during these uncertain times to make appropriate organizational decisions. The College is committed to engaging business, industry and Indigenous partners to respond to their training needs however believe at least in the fall employee and reserve-based training will not be the priority for our partners. The College anticipates engagement with business and industry will need to be innovative during the pandemic. The maintenance of current partnerships along with building new relationships is key to the College’s economic diversification goals. The College continues to be committed to organizing training to maximize an employers’ ability to access the CanadaSaskatchewan Job Grant to assist with the fulfillment of their training needs. This program is even more vital for small business given the impact of COVID-19. Multifaceted efforts in this area will reduce our reliance on government funding.

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University The College’s fourth cohort of Bachelor of Education in Meadow Lake began in fall of 2018-19. Unlike the previous three cohorts, this program is under a contractual arrangement with the University of Saskatchewan. The program is anticipated to have 20 returning students for Year 3. The College is advocating to the University to deliver in a blended fashion to ensure these students continue to get the support they have needed over the past two years.

In December 2018, the College signed an MOU with the University of Saskatchewan to partner on the delivery of the first year of the Edwards School of Business on the Battlefords Campus. Anticipated enrollments for 2020/21 may be impacted by the University of Saskatchewan’s online delivery.

The detailed program plan for face-to-face university programming at each of our main campuses is listed in Table 8 below, however, it is draft pending support from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) to allow blended delivery by Colleges. The Battlefords Campus generally offers several classes to provide individuals with opportunities to complete their first year of a university program in or near their home community. Individual courses are selected to complement those offered via alternate delivery methods – satellite, online, or multimodal – to optimize offerings available to students locally. This strategy may not be possible in 2020/21 pending decisions of the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan.

The College has commitment from the U of S for only two out of five of our faceto-face fall offerings to be set up as our own section for remote delivery, two others will only be available online from the U of S and the fifth one is still unknown. These changes in delivery will negatively impact rural student participation. It is unfortunate as the University programming delivered at NWC improves access to cost-effective, quality education for rural residents.

Table 8. 2020/21 Program Plan for University Program Classes FCE

Projected Enrollment Registrations FLE

Battlefords Campus – General Studies

11

5.5

94

9.4

Meadow Lake Campus – Bachelor of Education Year 3 College Total 2020/21 Business Plan 2019/20

10

5

200

20

21 20

10.5 10.5

294 319

29.4 31.9

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Student and Employer Supports NWC helps to support a strong economy by investing in students and supporting their success, not only in programs of study, but also in long-term labour market attachment. NWC has an innovative workforce engagement strategy to ensure students build skills that employers are seeking, obtain practical workplace experience, make sound career choices and connect to employment. Our Student Services teams play a vital role in attracting, retaining, and graduating students and connecting them to the labour force.

NWC has had to adapt how all of these services are delivered given COVID-19.

In the spring of 2020, the College supports to students pivoted well to distance delivery. This is largely because relationships with students were already established. Staff knew what supports each student needed and how frequently.

Trust and rapport were already in place between the student and each member of our team. This will not be the case as we enter 2020/21. The majority of the student body will be new to North West. The blended model of program delivery will be mirrored in student services delivery where relationships, trust and understanding need to be developed in the early weeks of a student’s experience.

This relationship is key to student success.

NWC provides significant support to students and employers through our Student Services. A comprehensive array of career counseling services is provided by our skilled counseling staff to clients across the region. The breadth of student support services has expanded over time to include intake, assessment, career and academic counseling, review of financial support options, and helping students connect to community supports. Retention strategies include careful recruitment, job coaching, connecting students to sustainable employment and an emphasis on enhancing student life. This array of services is available to students in all programs at all locations. NWC invests in our students to achieve personal and academic success and to build a knowledgeable, representative labour force.

Many of these services will be adapted depending upon the state the province is in over the year. No doubt these services will look and feel different but the intent of investing in our students, community and region remain strong.

NWC provides a Learning Resource Consultant to serve the entire region.

Demand for this service is high, given the number of programs, types of programs, the size of our student body, and the distance between program sites. The supports for students with disabilities will be the most challenging in the blended

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environment. The potential for students with learning challenges to be identified in a timely matter is a risk. The requirement for a third party diagnosis before a support plan can be put in place is also going to create a barrier to student success.

The College will adapt our processes and methods of connectivity and support for students, however, it may result in increased costs.

In addition to the supports for students with disabilities, the College also supports all students academically, both in and out of the classroom. The College provides a math tutor and writing workshops for all programs from ABE to University. The students receive workshops in such crucial elements as reading for content, study skills and test taking strategies. The Student Services team advises students of subject specialists they can access in the community and sets up tutorials when a number of students require assistance. A majority of these services are most effective face-to-face but will need to be offered blended in the fall.

Academic content plays a vital role by providing sound foundational and technical skills, but practical experience in the workplace is also instrumental to career success. Our goal is to ensure that all full-time students are prepared for the workplace by having some level of workplace exposure during their time as our students and/or participate in a WIL project. These connections take on additional significance within our region wherein many of our students face the additional barrier to employment of preconceptions regarding their race. A successful work placement with an initially reticent employer can open the door to employment not only for the initial student but for future Indigenous graduates. NWC is concerned about the ability of employers to actively participate in our student program this fall given the state of the economy. The College has aligned as many programs as possible that require support of business for this aspect of learning to the winter. It is our hope the businesses may be more willing to support students at that time.

This resulted in a suspension of job coach services in the fall.

Building relationships with employers is a purposeful aspect of NWC strategy. We invest not only in students but in employers to understand their labour force needs and the skills required for success at their workplace. The College Business Development unit has developed a robust industry engagement strategy to ensure the labour force needs are well understood and satisfied. The implementation of this strategy may need to adjust in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Student Services teams connect well-prepared students to employers who may struggle to find skilled labour. Job fairs and recruitment blitzes on both campuses have proven

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successful for local business employee recruitment. These activities will need to be revised to meet current social distancing restrictions.

Formal partnerships have been developed with employers and processes have been streamlined over time. Our collaboration with business and industry around workplace exposure continues to grow and expand, as employers recognize the benefits of involving students in their workplace. Ongoing engagement will need to occur with employers to assess their capacity during the current State of Emergency. We continue to develop innovative strategies to create opportunities for students to practice skills and obtain permanent employment, even extending these services beyond graduation. Our Student Services departments assist many employers by connecting them to a labour resource they may not have considered.

While quality programming delivered by competent staff is essential, we recognize that social, economic, cultural, and physical circumstances may be barriers to student success. Therefore, we focus on minimizing barrier impact by providing supportive structures, a healthy environment, and a positive post-secondary experience. Events that include health and wellness components are organized at all program locations to enhance College life. These events will need to be reimagined due to the restrictions of social gathering and distancing, however, they play a great part in student identity and wellness. Even before COVID-19, it was apparent there needs to be an increased investment in student mental wellness.

These needs have been exacerbated by social isolation these past few months.

As well for many of our students, the College is their safe space. Many of their homes are overcrowded and prone to domestic violence and addictions and not conducive to home-based learning. These are significant concerns that will impact student success in a blended model of delivery. The College trained all of our student services staff in ASIST and Mental Health First Aide and recently developed a checklist for staff to use while working with students to early identify mental health issues. The College’s BE WELL initiative resource will be available remotely as well. The College is also actively participating in the Healthy Campus Saskatchewan initiative that started during COVID-19. This sector collaboration will result in shared best practices and common advocacy for students.

The College has a multifaceted strategy to support students who are struggling. It has been adapted to reflect the blended model. We are proud of our multicultural region and provide many opportunities to explore and celebrate diversity. In 2018/19, NWC introduced a new leadership award program for all students across the region. The purpose of this program is to spark the entrepreneurial spirit and

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provide students with a strong sense of self as a foundation for leadership in their respective communities. This program will need to adjust the activities to achieve the outcomes however, the College is still committed to building leaders.

The College accessed a grant in 2019/20 to support students with Truth and Reconciliation. This grant has been extended for another year. This initiative supports 20 youth students to become certified in the KAIROS blanket exercise along with other teachings so they are prepared to offer this service to their communities. In our first year all of the training for our students took place however their practice exercises were unable to be delivered given the pandemic. In 2020/21, we hope to allow those students to complete and a new group of students to begin the training. It is a great program to build youth capacity and understanding in our communities.

Through Student Services teams, NWC invests in our students so they can be successful in their programs of studies, their life, and in their future careers. NWC contributes significantly to our region by providing an accessible, well-prepared workforce responsive to the needs of local, regional and provincial employers.

Ultimately, successful NWC programming contributes to a sustainable and vital rural economy with $49M in regional gross domestic product, over 380 jobs and $24.7M income generated for northwestern Saskatchewan in 2016-17 alone.15 NWC remains a significant economic driver for our home region.

In 2020/21, the student services team has a great plan of how to establish relationships, maintain connectively and support students with all aspects of their journey. Many of the services will look and feel different but the investment in students will ensure strong communities in Saskatchewan.

‘Economic Impact Assessment’, Praxis Consulting, January (2018). All estimates based on 2016-17 data as the latest available completed academic year.

15

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E. HUMAN RESOURCES NWC provides services and maintains relationships through collaborative partnerships with our employees, SGEU, our local union representatives and service providers. Together, the partners share in the creation of a vibrant workplace that is dedicated to the education of others while supporting employee personal and professional growth. With the recent settlement of the new Collective Bargaining agreement the College is confident this will aid in the recruitment and retention of staff.

The College Executive have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and following the direction and recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer of Saskatchewan, and complying provincial Public Health orders. The College continues to be committed to the health and safety of our staff, students and communities. However, we are proceeding with fall semester program planning taking into consideration the uncertain environment we will continue to operate within.

As indicated earlier the College has taken a conservative approach to program plans this year based on a blended delivery model, reduced tuitions and lower enrolments. These assumptions have led to the following reductions in staffing.

The direct impacts will result in 21 staff being affected either through job losses or reduction in scheduled hours. Programs with low success rates along with programs that are not conducive to alternative delivery methodologies have been the main reason for adversely impacting some positions. The programs impacted are Office Administration (North Battleford) and Hairstylist (Meadow Lake). On the Adult Basic Education side, a number of our Level 2 on reserve program offerings are being deferred to the new year. We will also see a reduction in our ESWP offerings. Non-Instructional job coach positions and our Heavy Equipment Truck and Transport instructor have seen a reduction in hours. It is anticipated that employers will be less likely to take on students during this unprecedented time and therefore the College anticipates no work placements until the New Year.

With the shift to a blended delivery model the College recognizes the need for additional technological support. We are looking to invest in a new Coordinator of technology and quality assurance position (details still to be finalized) to support staff and students through the transition of alternate delivery. The College will also

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provide training and additional supports to ensure staff are equipped with the skills required to work and ensure success during this time.

To better meet the goals and in alignment with our strategic plan the College has restructured its Business Development and Corporate Service units. The restructure includes the loss of two in-scope and one out of scope position offset with the creation of one in-scope and one out of scope position. These positions will focus on meeting the goals and initiatives set out by the College and in alignment with meeting the goals of the Province.

The College is anticipating a reduction in operational full-time equivalency counts, which is reflective of realized operational efficiencies. A decrease in instructional full-time equivalencies is anticipated as College programming is hindered by the uncertainties relating to COVID-19.

Table 9. Anticipated Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) Function

In-Scope/ OOS In-scope

Actual 2018/19 65.09

Forecast 2019/20 63.72

Program Delivery

Out-ofscope

4.83

7.31

7.50

Student Support

In-scope

9.72

9.98

8.71 Forecasting no student work placements for the fall, due to the current pandemic and state of the economy

Operations

In-scope

14.66

14.33

Operations

Out-ofscope

10.40

11.13

104.70

106.46

Program Delivery

TOTALS

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Budget Comments/Change Rationale 2020/21 62.25 Forecasting 0% tuition increase therefore lower tuition revenues.

Lower enrollments projected = less programs being delivered.

13.60 Less administrative support forecast, due to projected less student numbers.

10.80 102.85

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F. SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability initiatives will support NWC‘s strategic directions toward a HighPerformance Organization by effectively managing resources and risk in this time of uncertainty. To ensure the quality of programs and services, the College will maintain continuous improvement strategies in all its operations and review and revise program offerings to continue to meet the needs of students, employers, and the labour market. In addition, the College will be managing discretionary spending, vacancies and costs while increasing applications for third party resources. Further diversifying our economic portfolio may help the College regain some of the fiscal stability needed to effectively forecast, plan and meet the needs of our region.

While current and ongoing sustainability measures include whenever possible vacancy management strategies to reduce salary and benefit costs, the College has restructured and modified external development and corporate services activities to better align with the goals and strategies of the College. This unit will focus on building partnerships and growing our foundation/development activities for investment in programs, services and capital, to position ourselves to be less reliant on government funding.

Even with these continued sustainability measures, Saskatchewan’s regional colleges remain the most cost effective institutions governed by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Saskatchewan Colleges are provided with less than 8% of the total provincial post-secondary education budget, while serving over 30% of the province’s post-secondary students.

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G. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NWC relies on adequate investments in technology to ensure the College remains sustainable, which is an increasing challenge. The College’s Information Technology (IT) plan focuses on supporting sustainability, maintaining infrastructure and managing data security and risk to contribute to the strategic directions of High-Performance Organization and College of Choice.

Over the course of the next few years, North West will continue to leverage technology to maintain services during this time of uncertainty. North West maintains best practices in infrastructure maintenance and replacement stewardship in order to anticipate large costs, mitigate financial risks and ensure service maintenance. North West’s servers are due for replacement in 2021/22. In anticipation of this potential replacement, North West continues to explore the possibility of cloud based server and data hosting versus on premises storage and comparative costing between the two options. We will continue to also explore collaboration with other post-secondary partners to provide off-site storage at bulk pricing.

North West continues to move toward the use of interactive televisions versus smart boards in the classroom. The new interactive televisions allow the instructor to take a more innovative approach to teaching and free additional resources that may otherwise be tied up. Interactive televisions continue to be piloted in a couple of our classes in the Meadow Lake Campus. As smart boards reach their end of life, the College will determine the best replacement equipment and replacements will take place over the next three years.

The College is introducing the use of chrome books for our rural based classrooms and a majority of our students in the upcoming year. Chrome books provides learners state of the art technology at a relatively less expensive cost than your typical laptop computer. Chrome books allow the College to implement student email accounts and provide the opportunity to better develop and manage alumni relations. Users and administrators manage software and data the same as a laptop, however encourages the use of google docs and other new innovative ways to manage your work load.

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Information Technology at the College strives to maximize resources in order to meet the needs of our students. The above-mentioned projects and maintenance are founded on the principles of sustainability while continuing NWC’s tradition of forward-thinking innovation.

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H. INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT OCCUPANCY PLAN Land Transaction Plan and Occupancy Plan Given the significant space constraints on the Battlefords Campus, the College developed a business case for a new facility. In the Fall of 2019 the College invested in a feasibility study, which identified potential partners supporting the business case for a new stand-alone campus. Based on the findings, we have updated the business case and identified potential locations within the community.

The College will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Advanced Education and the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training on this initiative. We will continue to work with local stakeholders to secure necessary land to house the proposed facility.

The NWC Facilities and Capital plan will focus on the provision of a safe and functional learning and working environment while enhancing infrastructure to ensure sustainability. All initiatives will undergo a review process in order to manage tight fiscal resources. These efforts are critical to the strategic direction of becoming a High Performance Organization and the College of Choice for students and staff.

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For the 2020/2021 fiscal year the College will look at renewing the majority of its one-year leases. The following chart identifies those leases: Table 11. Leasing Facility/Land Description

Address

Owned/ Leased

Lessor Name

Size

Centennial Hall

121 Main St, Debden Cut Knife

Lease

145 m2 112 m2

556 Front St, Duck Lake, SK 2022 102 St, North Battleford, SK Meadow Lake 210 Main St, Unity, SK

Lease

Village of Debden Living Sky School Division Stobart School

Lease

Lease

2004 4 St, Rosthern, SK North Battleford

Lease

Turtleford

Lease

Cut Knife Insurance Agencies Duck Lake

Mistikwa Centre

Hairdressing Lab Unity Community Resource Centre Rosthern High School NB Comprehensive High School TBD

Lease

Lease

Lease

Lease Expiry Date 31-May-19

Annual Cost including GST $12,600.00

Occupancy Plan *

30-Jun-19

$12,000.00

renew

182 m2

30-Jun-19

$24,000.00

renew

Living Sky School Division

812 m2

31-Aug-19

$56,875.00

renew

Carpenter High School Unity Community Resource Centre Prairie Spirit School Division Living Sky School Division TBD

195 m2 68 m2

22-Jun-19

$11,962.50

renew

27-Mar-19

$825.00

renew

142 m2

30-Jun-19

$2,205.00

renew

148 m2

31-May-19

$24,000.00

renew

TBD

TBD

TBD

TOTALS

renew

$144,467.50

* for example: renew, dispose, replace, renovate, expand, etc.

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I. 2020-21 BUDGET NWC is projecting an operating deficit of approximately $35K for 2020-21. Given the uncertainty regarding the 20-21 fiscal year resulting in a reduced program plan, staffing compliment and reduced travel budgets, a balanced budget was still not possible. The College sees increased costs relating to investment in technology and facilities as the College works to reduce barriers and provide safe, cleaning working and learning environment. The health and safety of our staff and students is of the utmost importance as we enter into a blended delivery model this next year. The College will continue to implement mitigation strategies throughout the year to reduce the deficit. These strategies include vacancy management and further reductions to travel and operations budgets where possible.

PART A. Projected Business Financial Statements and Key Assumptions NWC develops a financial plan that supports our strategic objectives and priorities for the present and future years. The financial plan is based on needs, strategic direction, and stewardship to ensure that NWC remains accountable to our students and to the communities we serve.

The financial plan is based on estimates of revenues and expenses made on the basis of available information. Some estimates can be made with a fair amount of certainty. However, external factors such as enrollment levels, negotiations with third parties, and the economy have caused a degree of uncertainty. Overall, we are confident that our financial projections maximize the provided funding. This plan supports the achievement of strategic goals of the College and the Government of Saskatchewan.

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Key Assumptions Financial projections for NWC are based on the latest information available from internal College sources, and direction from the Ministries of Advanced Education and Immigration & Career Training.

In addition to the assumptions articulated in section A, the following are specific budget assumptions: a)

2020/21 Ministry Advanced Education Operating funding is known as per funding letter.

b)

2020/21 Ministry of Immigration & Career Training program funding is known per the budget letter and subsequent EAL funding letter.

c)

Under-22 funding for ABE programming has been forecasted using 2019/20 rates.

d)

Tuition rates are reflected at status quo from 2019/20.

e)

Agency payments have been budgeted at a 2% increase.

f)

Inflation although immaterial has been forecasted at 1%.

g)

Projecting lower enrolments.

PART B. Financial Impacts of Identifiable Risks Third-party contracts Due to COVID-19, there is a great deal of uncertainty as to whether our partners will be able to invest in training. We are anticipating less under 22s because of reduced seats. There is significant uncertainty as to sponsor support for student tuitions based on blended delivery and competing priorities for their resources.

We are taking a conservative approach regarding expectations of contract revenue. The program and financial plans are based on NWC achieving realistic but revised targets. Our plans are founded on third party contract revenue from business, industry, and First Nations. These contracts are vital to the overall operations of the College. While the College is working to increase third-party funding, there is additional risk due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Adjustments to operations and programs would be required should we not realize these targets.

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Enrollment levels Student tuition accounts for approximately $1.6M of the 2020/21 financial plan slightly less given the 0% increase in tuition rates. In a blended delivery model under COVID-19, it is uncertain how many students will be attracted to postsecondary education. While we are confident in the approach used to estimate enrollment levels, there is no guarantee it will be realized. Should enrollments not reach expected levels, we may need to adjust the program plan during the year to minimize the impact.

Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship NWC received $57,900 for the SIOS program in 2020/21. The introduction of the Student Emergency Fund drawing from these resources, will negatively impact the number and amount of scholarships available to students. The College is concerned that the expectation of matching resources may be not be realized given the economic impact of COVID-19 on local businesses and partners as well as the College’s inability to hold fundraising events at this time.

Pandemic Response An investment was made in new equipment and supplies to ensure cleaning and sanitizing on facilities to meet increased standards and current safety protocols.

The new equipment and supplies do create efficiencies but due to the numerous program delivery sites, and the increased requirements due to COVID-19, there will be a need to invest in more personnel. There may be difficulty recruiting qualified staff at our rural locations, procurement and delivery of supplies on a timely basis, and the ability to accurately forecast the additional cost.

Other Factors In November 2020, the College will once again put forward proposals to access resources provided by the Preventive Maintenance and Renewal Fund, geared toward facility and infrastructure areas requiring attention. Without access to these funds, our capital reserve will be quickly depleted.

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Surplus Utilization/Deficit Management Plan Reserve Utilization NWC has funds established for specific activities. They have been restricted, either internally or externally, through a formal review when surpluses are finalized through the audit process. These are established reserves for the College.

Operating Fund Components of this reserve are funds allocated to our administrative system (HR and Accounting) and our Professional Development Fund for in-scope employees at the College.

Capital Fund This reserve is set up to meet capital needs of the College. Priority areas identified include investments in facilities, furnishings, vehicles, information technology and equipment.

Scholarship Fund This reserve consists of funds accumulated through donations, and the SIOS Program. The Scholarship Fund Reserve is an externally restricted reserve.

Changes in the Fund balance are dependent upon the success of fundraising campaigns and the subsequent awarding of scholarships.

Residence Fund Reserve This fund exists to address future maintenance and improvement needs of Meadow Lake’s student housing. Surplus from residence operations contribute to this reserve on an annual basis.

Unrestricted Operating Reserve In order to ensure the College retains the flexibility to respond to unforeseen issues, we will strive to maintain an unrestricted operating reserve within 3% of the operating budget.

Other strategic priorities have been identified, which include the need for a new facility for program delivery, system upgrades, and information technology initiatives. In order to address all the priorities, the College may have to reallocate reserves and engage other parties to find effective funding solutions.

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Deficit Management NWC significantly reduced operating expenses over the past three years and continued in 2019/20. Managing the deficit in 2020/21 is planned through further efficiencies, vacancy management when possible and use of reserves. NWC has a robust financial monitoring process that includes regular reviews with a governance Finance Committee, enabling appropriate and timely responses to pressures on our finances. This is not a sustainable long-term solution. Due to the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, NWC will continue to monitor the progress of programs, services and our financial situation; making necessary changes where needed to mitigate impacts on staff and students.

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CONCLUSION These are unprecedented times, full of uncertainty, and with a high degree of unpredictability. However, NWC is still accountable as a public entity within the Province of Saskatchewan. As we continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and comply with provincial Public Health orders, the College is committed to the health and safety of our staff, students, and communities. Even during these uncertain times, we still pledge to deliver on all aspects of our strategic plan and keep our focus on the success of our students. Strategically, the College will continue to pursue the goal of reducing NWC’s reliance on government funding if we wish to continue to expand and serve our communities within our region.

During times like this, it is essential that the College remains vigilantly focused on building an infrastructure that enables us to strategically pivot and adapt to any obstacles that might come our way. We continue to focus on minimizing the risk of any adverse impacts on our students as they progress through their educational and career pathways.

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