The role a college can play in the economic development of

a region

The concept of a Centre for Rural Living

• I firmly believe that the role of the community college integrates well with the role of a regional development agency - they are mutually symbiotic

• Neither of them create jobs – but they do create a climate for job creation

• They do this by such things as training, research, modelling best practices

• The primary factor in the competitiveness of a nation state becomes the skills and knowledge of its workforce.

• Robert Reich “ The Work of Nations: Preparing Ourselves for 21st Century Capitalism

• “LED is the process by which actors within local governments (barangays, cities, municipalities and provinces) work collectively with the result that there are improved conditions for economic growth, employment generation and quality of life for all”

• Companies that previously would have located in close proximity to natural resources and transportation corridors now place a premium on choosing a site where there is an educated and skilled workforce and high-speed network communications.

• The fundamental principle underlying a knowledge economy that attaches a premium to human resources is not far removed from the Greek root of the word education, iretrea, which means to heal, in the sense of empowering and enriching others.

•

Population Distribution

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

0-14 15-24 25-34 35-54 55-64 65-74 75+

Ages

Nu

mb

er

FISCAL

• In three years our campus has brought in over $11million to our local community by applied research

• Obviously some is specialised equipment, but such things as supplies and construction are done locally

PERSONNEL

• The addition of highly qualified personnel into a rural community provides not only additional living requirements, but provides the community with an intellectual capacity which it did not have before.

• To date we have increased personnel numbers from 0 to 20, and up to post doctoral fellow

Examples of contributions to community

• Specific studies for niche agriculture

• Evaluation of rural aspects of health

• Location analysis for wind power sites

• General environmental projects

• Acadien genealogy project

• Business incubation – whatever that means!

• DANIEL BAKER KENNEYWESTPORT, BRIER ISLANDINTERVIEWER; CINDY GRAHAM, CHRIS CALLAGHAN

  Click for video   CG That’s on? Okay. Okay, we’re going to get started. What is your full name?

• DBK Daniel Baker Kenney. • CG Daniel Baker Kenney. • DBK Mmm hmmm. • CG That’s a surprise! • DBK Why? • CG I thought it was Benjamin! • DBK No, Benjamin was my father. My father’s name was Daniel

Benjamin, and I was named after [Lorne] Baker, who lives in Yarmouth, was a lawyer, and my middle name was Baker. My son, Danny, his name is Baker, but his son is Benjamin. Daniel Benjamin. So it’s gone on for four generations.

Applied Research & Innovation - Brochure

It’s the intangibles that really count !

• Profit and economic benefit are not always measured in dollars

• A knowledge base for local entrepreneurs and businesses

• A sense of pride

• A sense of having an ability to meet the future

The Centre for Rural Living(CRL)

• The Centre is a concept that harnesses the activities of a college and a local regional development agency

• The goal is to create a “learning community”

• Use both formal and in-formal sector learning resources

• Share the training resources (economic and educational) with each other and the community

• View learning as the common denominator of education & training

• Value social and intellectual capital and utilize it for competitive advantage

• Recognize learning as an investment• Recognize and promote learning as a social

process that provides a comparative community advantage for socio-economic development

• Thrive on the greater autonomy of decentralization

• Support innovations that are focused on interactive learning among learning organizations within the community

The core activities in the Centre for Rural Living may include

• Programs for Community Economic Development in Rural Canada

• Customized courses to offer training in health services, entrepreneurship, tourism, heritage and culture.

• Learning services to the community, e.g. consulting on technical business opportunities, counseling on NSCC opportunities for youth, etc.

• Applied research on environment and human health issues

• Business Innovation, starting first with known technical areas of expertise and expanding to other areas.

• Encouraging community organizations to bring their knowledge and experience to enrich the quality of campus life in a rural setting

CONCLUSION

• A carefully planned strategy of using modern electronic and computational facilities, in projects created by an RDA, and supported by the college, will result in a community which is vibrant, forward looking, and confident of its future.