Indigenous learners to receive horticulture training tuition free at Assiniboine

Assiniboine Community College is offering a one-time tuition-free Horticultural Production certificate program for Indigenous learners living off-reserve. The program is funded through a partnership with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP), which will cover the cost of tuition, fees and supplies.

The program will be held at the college’s Parkland campus in Dauphin, starting July 24, 2023. It’s a nine-month program, including a 12-week paid practicum.

“We are excited to provide this opportunity, made possible with funding from CAP, enabling students to focus on their studies without financial obstacles,” said Michael Cameron, Dean of Community Development at Assiniboine. “Partnerships like this make it possible for Assiniboine to offer training opportunities and pathways to employment to individuals that might have not otherwise had them.”

The Horticultural Production program in Parkland will also partner with Vermillion Growers—Manitoba’s first large-scale vegetable greenhouse, located in Dauphin—for hands-on learning activities throughout the program.

“Vermillion Growers provides an exceptional venue for partnership. We’re grateful to the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples for the funding to bring this opportunity to life,” said Karen O’Gilvie, Academic Chair of Field to Fork programs in the Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment at Assiniboine. “It’s our pleasure to bring this opportunity to learn about fruit, vegetable and greenhouse production to Indigenous students in the Parkland region.”

Horticultural Production in Parkland has space for 15 students. For more program details and to register for an info session, visit assiniboine.net/TFhortproduction.