Brad Apking, plant manager at Methanex, presents MHC president Kevin Shufflebotham with a $9,000 cheque to fund awards for the next three years.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
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Methanex has committed to contributing two financial awards, each worth $1,500, to Medicine Hat College students for the next three years.
Starting in the spring of 2022, the Power Engineering Award and Business Operations Award will be handed out.
Methanex and MHC have had a relationship since 1996 and Methanex has contributed $85,700 to the college in both financial and in-kind donations.
“Reducing financial barriers helps our students focus on their studies and approximately $350,000 in donor-funded student awards are given to Medicine Hat students every year,” said Kevin Shufflebotham, MHC president and CEO. “So, what this partnership does is really supports the college’s goal to increase access to education.”
Jody Magill, Methanex’s stakeholder relations manager, says the relationship with the college is part of its social responsibility program and education is a one of the core pillars of it.
“We annually look to achieve that through scholarships with some post-secondary institutions and MHC is an obvious choice for us being in our local community and the relevance of many of its programs to our business operation as well,” she said.
Magill says the power engineering award is obvious, because they wouldn’t be able to operate without power engineers. She says they play a key role in the production of methanol. The award for business operations is to recognize the number of other programs which could include environmental, accounting and other disciplines, adds Magill.
Award recipients must demonstrate academic achievement and be entering their third semester of study. The awards will also be given to students with financial need and those who take part in volunteerism, another way Methanex gives back to the community.
“Another way we provide, we hope, a contribution back to the community is through volunteerism,” said Magill. “Our employees, we do a significant amount of volunteerism each year, so we also wanted to recognize that practice in those recipients of the scholarships.”
Magill and Shufflebotham say they look forward to continuing their long-standing relationship with each other as they move forward with this three-year plan.
“Partnerships with community leaders like Methanex are imperative for the vitality of the college and our region,” said Shufflebotham. “We are committed to helping learners realize their goals, and it’s through collaboration with community partners and employers that we are able to stay aligned with industry needs and fulfil that commitment.”
