Nova Scotia Community College, commonly referred to as NSCC, is a community college serving the province of Nova Scotia through a network of 14 campuses and three community learning centres. The college delivers over 130 programs in five academic schools: Access, Education and Language; Business and Creative Industries; Health & Human Services; Technology and Environment; and Trades and Transportation. They reflect the labour market needs and opportunities in Nova Scotia. NSCC includes four specialized institutes: the Nautical Institute, the School of Fisheries, the Aviation Institute and the Centre of Geographical Sciences. Educating over 20,000 students a year, NSCC provides the majority of technical and apprenticeship training in Nova Scotia. The president of NSCC is Don Bureaux.
History
In 1872, the Halifax Marine School was established. While it would later become the NSCC Nautical Institute, at the time, it represented the first vocational and technical education institution in the Province of Nova Scotia. It was the first in a number of specialized training institutions around the province that offered education in areas such as agriculture, surveying, engineering and navigation. In 1987, the Department of Vocational & Technical Training published a White Paper recommending the creation of a community college system for Nova Scotia. The establishment of this system, it argued, would bring technology, vocational and upgrading institutions together under one umbrella, and allow for the development and coordination of college programs and services at a province-wide level. This would work to meet both pan-provincial and local economic and applied education needs. In 1988, Nova Scotia became the last province in Canada to create a community college system, bringing 16 institutions together in one college system. In name, it became the predecessor to NSCC; however, it would be several years until NSCC was established in its current form. In 1992, two more campuses joined the college system from their respective school boards, and in 1995 the closing Nova Scotia Teacher’s College became an NSCC site. NSCC became autonomous from the Province of Nova Scotia in 1996 by incorporating itself as an independent institution with a Board of Governors. Since then, the NSCC network of campuses has evolved into a province-wide, community-based, community college, with polytechnical, applied arts and health scienceeducational programs.
Campuses and locations
The Nova Scotia Community College occupies 14 campuses, located in:
Kentville is part of Ivany Campus and is housed in a building near the . The is located in the . The is located in the .
The , often referred to by the acronym COGS, is part of and is located in a separate site in Lawrencetown. There are also two Community Learning Centres located in Amherst and Digby. The also offers offers programs in Wagmatcook First Nation at the . On November 27, 2017, the Province of Nova Scotia and NSCC announced plans to relocate to downtown Sydney. The specific location, on Sydney's waterfront, was announced by the Province of Nova Scotia and NSCC on August 2, 2019.
Specialized institutes
Nautical Institute
NSCC's Nautical Institute offers Transport Canada-approved marine training for students who want to start or advance their career at sea. Students learn in specially designed marine facilities, including a wave tank, free-fall lifeboat and fire training centre, and with state-of-the-art simulation equipment for navigation and engine room training. The Nautical Institute is part of the College's Strait Area Campus. The predecessor of the Nautical Institute is the Halifax Marine School.
School of Fisheries
The offers a wide range of training programs to meet the needs of the fish harvesting industry and for small vessel operators. Courses are offered at the facility in Shelburne, at locations throughout Nova Scotia and around the world.
Aviation Institute
The is located on Pleasant Street at the Dartmouth Gate building.
The Centre of Geographic Sciences] in Lawrencetown is Canada's largest geomatics-focused learning environment. COGS is often featured on the television program The Curse of Oak Island. NSCC staff, faculty and graduates frequently work on screen and behind the scenes of the program.
CCKC - 88.9 The Platypus
The Ivany Campus in Dartmouth is home to an online radio station that brands themselves "The Platypus". The station is managed by students of the Radio, Television & Journalism program.
