A good portion of a $250,000 donation made by pipeline builder TransCanada to Northwest Community College last week is being used to help people obtain driver’s licences – the lack of which has been cited frequently by those training people for jobs.
“We have long heard from communities and students that not having a driver’s licence is not only a barrier to accessing post-secondary education, but also a barrier to employment,” said Northwest Community College president Ken Burt.
The first driver training courses, to help students go through the graduated licence system, will be offered free in Moricetown between Smithers and Hazelton this spring and the TransCanada donation was also used to buy a car for the purpose. The car purchased, a Toyota Corolla, is outfitted with dual brake pedals, a feature driver training companies use. Vehicle and simulator, costing $53,000 and $24,000, will be spent on training drivers.
Another $98,000 is for bursaries for students while the remaining $75,000 of the donation is being held in reserve for a project to be announced at a future date.
