I often talk to families in our area about what means most to them. Over the past few years, more and more families have asked for upgrades to Cole Harbour District High School and many would know that the calls for a high school in Eastern Passage have been consistent for almost 30 years in this community. You may remember that I advocated for these changes while in opposition. As a government MLA for Cole Harbour – Eastern Passage, I brought these concerns to officials from the Department of Education.
On April 2, I was proud to see our government announce a new $10 million, state of the art skilled trades centre and other upgrades at Cole Harbour District High School. The demand for skilled trades workers in our province is high, and with the new shipbuilding contract, more will be needed. This investment will enable children who are interested in skilled trades to learn more about their craft and prepare them for future post-secondary education and training.
The fully equipped skilled trades centre will offer courses that link classroom learning to good jobs, such as ship building, for students in Cole Harbour and around HRM. The investment will also include a new gymnasium and refurbished cafeteria for all students to enjoy.
This change to Cole Harbour District High School will bring a lot of new students to the school. To address this change, our government is investing in a new high school for Eastern Passage. By investing $15 million in this facility, we are ensuring that children in Eastern Passage will receive a great education here in our community. It was an honour to stand as Premier Dexter and Education Minister Ramona Jennex made this announcement. It was touching to see the reactions of parents who have asked for this for many years.
Both of these investments are part of our government plan to support every student to be successful, including preparing for good jobs, and meeting the needs of the students and families in Nova Scotia. This truly is putting kids and learning first.
For more information on education opportunities or any other issue, feel free to contact me at 465-3180 or beckykentmla@ns.aliantzinc.ca.
