Learning communities in the oil sands, and in remote and rural Alberta.

1. 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 McMurray

2. 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.

3. 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

4. Project principles • Focus on 4 targeted audiences: camp workers, northern and rural residents, aboriginals • 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 • Request that communities contribute access, time, expertise, and material support

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

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

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

8. 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)

9. Challenges for construction industryin 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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?

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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)

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

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