College, city, chamber team up on vitality project

By MO CRANKER on October 21, 2020.

Medicine Hat College, the City of Medicine Hat and the local Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to create a Regional Vitality Planning Project Collaboration.

“We’re really excited to be a part of this,” said MHC president Kevin Shufflebotham. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes out of it, and how the college can be a part of it.”

The collaboration will have a full spectrum of focus; the project will inspire action and collective work on themes such as people, culture, sustainability, health, education, agriculture, innovation, economy and wellness.

Shufflebotham says the college can play a key role in this project.

“Last year the college undertook its own strategic planning process,” he said. “We came out with three goals. Part of those goals was strengthening regional vitality.

“What this is, is about activating our strategic plan and strengthening our reach into the region.

“The goal is to engage stakeholders and identify different issues, trends and opportunities, and then foster opportunities for people in our region.”

Shufflebotham says conversations about the project began in the summer, after MHC representatives sat down with people from the city and the chamber.

He says the college adding new programs is a way of responding to the area’s needs, or to different opportunities.

“When I look at what could come out of this, maybe there’s program opportunities,” he said. “There’s a lot of really exciting potential opportunities for us.

“We want to better support the community and fill its needs to the best of our ability.”

More information on the college and its programs can be found at http://www.mhc.ab.ca