Make education accessible
©Photo courtesy – The Action
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Several partners came together for the announcement of the Center d’études collégiales Desjardins which will be created in Saint-Zénon.
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The Cégep régional de Lanaudière, in collaboration with the Caisse Desjardins du Nord de Lanaudière, is proud to announce the creation of the Center d’études collégiales Desjardins in Saint-Zénon. For the mayor of the municipality, Karl Lacouvée, this project will have considerable impacts, both for the students and for the community.
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The center plans to welcome its first cohort in the fall of 2023. The Cégep regional de Lanaudière intends to give priority to offering courses in the fields of nursing care and childhood education, but other programs could be offered by the after. In addition, the establishment of partnerships with local businesses is planned so that the training meets the best possible regional and national labor market needs.
“This project materializes a major step forward for the region, for young people and for adults who wish to engage in higher education. It also represents progress for all those who believe in education in the regions and who understand that it embodies the foundation of any society and of its human and social development,” says Hélène Bailleu, director general of the Cégep régional de Lanaudière.
On learning of the creation of this center in Saint-Zénon, the mayor, Karl Lacouvée, could not believe it: “It’s something we need here”. As in several other municipalities in Haute-Matawinie, Mr. Lacouvée is witness to a high school dropout rate in his community. He explains this trend by the fact that many students do not have the necessary means to apply in higher education establishments located at great distances. The mayor therefore hopes that this project will encourage students to stay in his municipality.
He also hopes that this study center will convince entrepreneurs to develop services that will meet the needs of new students. He gives as examples a restaurant, housing, a daycare or a grocery store, which has been missing in Saint-Zénon since the old establishment was ravaged by fire. Thus, Karl Lacouvée considers that this college study center project “is a good step to relaunch the economy of the municipality”.
Support from Caisse Desjardins
The establishment of a college study center in Saint-Zénon would not have been possible without the contribution of the Caisse Desjardins du Nord de Lanaudière. Louise Rochefort, Chair of the Caisse’s Board of Directors, is enthusiastic about this collaboration: “We are very excited about the idea of taking part in this structuring project with positive spinoffs for our community. The allocation of the building housing the Self-Service Center of Saint-Zénon to educational purposes will generate significant impacts at all levels, whether in terms of development opportunities, the improvement of the workforce work or accessibility to post-secondary studies. »
This major initiative aims to facilitate access to higher education in the territory of Haute-Matawinie. “The installation of the Center d’études collégiales Desjardins, here, in Saint-Zénon, will allow people from Haute-Matawinie to have access to various post-secondary training and thus reduce the dropout rate. The next generation trained in Matawinie will be more inclined to stay there, thus guaranteeing the maintenance of quality services for the population,” added Isabelle Perreault, Warden of the MRC of Matawinie.
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