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

Dr. Patrick J. Fahy Athabasca University

Distance Education and Technology Symposium13 June 2008

Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel Edmonton, Alberta

Origin of the Learning Communities Project

• Athabasca University model: – open and distance university offerings on various “lines”– PLAR

• 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. – Create competitive advantage.– Do well while doing good.

Project objectives

• Transform the workplace, communities• Address personal goals for career

change, advancement.• Create learning communities in rural

and remote areas.• (For corporate sponsors): attract and

retain skilled workforce• Identify and promote Alberta institutions

Project principles

1. Four targeted audiences: camp workers, northern and rural residents, aboriginals

- Initial focus: Horizon site

2. Develop partnerships, based on needs, interests, and preferences

- Offerings must offer “distance” access

3. Request that communities contribute access, time, expertise, material support

What is distance education?

Same time Different time

synchronous asynchronous

Same Place 1 2Site-bound

Different Place 3 4Site-independent

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.

Horizon site facts

• Located 45 miles north of Ft. McMurray

• Construction commenced 2001

• Production fall 2008• Open pit mining

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)

Construction challenges

• Reliance on a mobile workforce• Expensive – the workforce comes from across Canada

• Retiring workforce• In construction industry, avg age over 45

• 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.

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

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

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

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 or familiar

• Potential students often not familiar with, or actually skeptical about, distance education (research issue)

Research products to date

• Eight 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 press)

• Baseline study“Programming Available and Requested in Remote Areas of Alberta” (In progress)

Next steps

• Continue information and speaker sessions, Horizon site and others

• Population will change when production starts, fall 2008

• Intensify research into learning interests in other identified communities outside the oil sands

• Continue Occasional Reports (formative evaluation)• Continue peer-reviewed publications (dissemination)• Continue to evaluate project operations (1 more

interim report, final report at project end)

For more information …

• Website: http://www.athabascau.ca/lc/

• Email: asklc@athabascau.ca

Thank you for your interest

• Patrick Fahy (patf@athabascau.ca)– 866-514-6234

• Nancy Steel (nancys@athabascau.ca)– 866-569-8051