Learning communities in the oil sands and in

Learning communities in the oil sands, and in remote and rural Alberta. Patrick Fahy & Nancy Steel Athabasca University Alberta North Access Symposium 8 May, 2008 Keyano College Fort Mc. Murray

Origin of the Learning Communities Project • Athabasca University model: open and distance university offerings on various “lines” • DE model: reduce barriers for remote, rural communities, camp residents, due to work, personal realities • Project funded by a donation from Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNQ), in-kind from AU. – Develop people, wants competitive advantage. – Do well while doing good. 2

Project objectives • To transform the workplace and communities. • To address personal goals with respect to career change, advancement. • To find new ways of creating learning communities in rural and remote areas. • (For corporate sponsors): To address problems attracting and retaining skilled workforce • To identify and promote viable offerings from Alberta institutions 3

Project principles 1. Focus on 4 targeted audiences: camp workers, northern and rural residents, aboriginals - 2. Initial focus on CNQ’s Horizon construction site workforce Develop partnerships to provide access to range of target groups, based on ongoing assessment of needs, interests, and preferences - Offerings must offer “distance” access 3. Request that communities contribute access, time, expertise, and material support 4

What is distance education? Same time synchronous Same Place Different time asynchronous 1 2 3 4 Site-bound Different Place Site-independent 5

Communities of present LCP interest • Horizon site (mobile workers) • Wood Buffalo region (Fort Chipewyan and Fort Mc. Kay) • Cold Lake (town and CFB Cold Lake) • Three Hills • Wabasca • Fort St. John, B. C. 6

Horizon site facts • Located 70 Km north of Fort Mc. Murray • Construction commenced 2001 • Production projected for August 2008 • Will use open pit mining 7

Horizon site by the numbers Total workers on site = 19, 948 • • Construction contract workers = 18, 844 CNQ employees = 1, 104 Workers residing in lodges = 8, 250 Daily avg. workers on site = 8, 353 (April 30, 2008) 8

Challenges for construction industry in Alberta & at Horizon site • Reliance on a mobile workforce • Expensive – the workforce comes from across Canada –Deer Lake, NFLD, by example • Retiring workforce • Contributes to skill shortages in construction industry – avg age of construction mobile workers in Alberta is over 45 years of age – contributes to skills shortage, especially experienced construction workers • Need for exceptionally high level of project management, especially in oil sands operations • LCP identified project management as a popular learning interest • Life-work balance difficult to achieve • Long shifts, physically demanding, work camp living (5 work camps), high security, family away Alberta Employment and Immigration. (2007). A workforce strategy for Alberta’s construction industry. 9

LCP activities on site • Project “launches” at 5 camps • Set-up in lobby areas • Materials on hand, staff available to answer questions and take requests for detailed information • Researcher present to record nature of inquiries & requests • Speaker series • “Eating for Health” • “Life Balance” • MBA Sessions • The AU MBA program 10

Findings: Learning preferences expressed • 36% Business, Finance & Management • MBA • Project Management • Business Administration, Accounting, and HR • 34 %Trades & Engineering • • Blue Seal Health & Safety Red Seal APEGGA courses or exam preparation 11

Findings: Learning interests expressed • Others: • Computer applications, including Microsoft Office • English as a Second Language • Languages – Spanish, Italian, French • Academic upgrading, or grade 12 equivalency • General interest: fitness, guitar, flight training, martial arts 12

Responses to inquiries • Inquiries collected at project launches and information booths, or by email, and forwarded to AU Advising for a timely response • Inquiries documented by Research Facilitator • Inquiries followed up by RF as quality assurance measure – Receive information sought? Any action taken? Further questions? 13

Issues & challenges • Communication on-site is complicated – no common link, many work group list serves • Organizing events time-consuming and complex – procedures and people constantly changing • Audience is shift / mobile workers; may be temporary foreign workers – education dedication may be low • Computer/internet access not always available to or used by all • Potential students often not familiar with, or actually skeptical about, distance education – we are investigating this 14

Research products to date • • Seven Occasional Reports Interim Report 1 Literature annotations Paper submitted to peer reviewed journal “Post-Secondary Learning Priorities of Workers in an Oil Sands Camp in Northern Alberta” (In review) • Baseline study “Programming Available and Requested in Remote Areas of Alberta” (In progress) 15

Next steps • Continue regular information and speaker sessions at the Horizon site • Population will soon change once into production • Intensify research into learning interests in other identified communities outside the oil sands • Continue Occasional Reports (formative evaluation) • Continue to produce papers for peer-reviewed journals (dissemination) • Continue to evaluate project operations (1 more interim report, final report at project end) 16

For more information … • Website: http: //www. athabascau. ca/lc/ • Email: asklc@athabascau. ca 17

Thank you for your interest • Pat Fahy (patf@athabascau. ca) – 866 -514 -6234 • Nancy Steel (nancys@athabascau. ca) – 866 -569 -8051 18