Program funded by eCampusOntario bridges gap for learners in Timmins, Ontario

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Thanks to a new partnership program funded by eCampusOntario, Timmins-based Northern College and Sault St. Marie-based Algoma University have launched a new bridging program.

The newly-designed program allows students to complete the first two years of either the Computer Engineering Technician or Business Accounting program at Northern College and directly enter the third year of Algoma University’s Bachelor of Computer Science or Bachelor of Business Administration program. Upon completion, learners receive both a college diploma and a university degree, signifying to employers that they possess both practical skills and theoretical knowledge.

Under the bridging program, students can take some of these courses online and then head to the Sault St. Marie campus for just the final eight months of their degree. The two institutions have a similar bridging program in place for social work studies.

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Lena Patterson, eCampusOntario’s Senior Director of Programs and Stakeholder Relations travelled to Timmins to take part in the official announcement of the partnership. “There were educators, there were students, there were city councillors, there were parents. The whole community really buys into their advancement and success, and it shows how closely connected and strong their community is.”

The partnership program is part of eCampusOntario’s New Program Development Fund*, initiated in 2016. The fund supports projects that provide online learning opportunities in future areas of demand or support multi-institution collaborations.

“Those are the best collaborations, when it’s mutual gain to increase access to programming and to give people the opportunity to access post-secondary education.”

* https://www.ecampusontario.ca/funding/