Algonquin wins $599,000 government contract

Algonquin has been awarded a government contract that would see the school receive more than $599,000 in exchange for offering project management training to government employees.

The contract, from the Department of National Defence, was awarded to Algonquin on Dec. 24, 2018, and would require Algonquin to offer a seven day certificate course, 12 times a year, to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and other government agencies.

The anticipated start date for the course is Feb. 3, 2020.

The contract extends three years from the date of the first class.

The course is based on the sixth edition of PMBOK Guide (Project Management Body of Knowledge), a book that is used in Algonquin’s existing project management program.

“It’s actually published by the Project Management Institute, the global governing body of most things project management,” said Angela Clermont, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and coordinator for the project management program at Algonquin.

Clermont said that the program would likely be customized to fit the needs of the government.

“They’re going to tailor it. Doing project management for construction is a little different than doing project management in an IT corporation,” Clermont said.

“When you go to corporate training and they teach you project management, they’re going to teach you these basics, specifically for that environment.”

Apart from revenue, members of staff believe winning the contract will also be the means of strengthening the school’s standing with employers.

“This speaks to our goal of employer engagement and satisfaction, continuous learning and being an indispensable partner to our employers,” Ruth Dunley, communications manager at Algonquin, said in an email.