Education & Training

Investing for the future

There have been significant investments in Pictou County 's education infrastructure in recent years. This decade saw the opening of two new state of the art high schools. The Pictou Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) has recently undergone a major $11 million renovation and expansion. The project provides students with a Power Centre for trades and technology programs, new trades shops, expansion of IT programs, the addition of hospitality and culinary programs, many updated campus facilities and space for up to 364 additional students in the future.

Easy access to higher education and skills training

Some of the best universities in the country are located in Nova Scotia. With 11 universities, Nova Scotia has more post-secondary students per capita than anywhere else in Canada. Pictou County is located less than one hour from Antigonish and St. Francis Xavier University (60km / 37 miles), ranked as the Best Primarily Undergraduate University in Canada (MacLeans Magazine, 2006).

St. FX is a leading national university with a longstanding tradition of academic excellence, service to society and innovation in teaching. The institution offers degree accreditation in arts, science, business and information systems and applied programs. It offers an extensive curriculum in disciplines ranging from Bachelor of Arts and Science Degrees to Masters Degrees in a wide variety of disciplines. It has a full time student population of almost 4,000 and operates a university extension centre in Pictou County.

The highest ratio of universities to population in North America

With six degree granting institutions, our capital city, Halifax, has the highest ratio of universities to population in North America (NSBI). Most of the universities in Nova Scotia are located within a 160 kilometre (100 mile) radius of Pictou County. These universities offer a wide variety of course options in a vast number of disciplines ranging from undergraduate degrees, to technical trades to doctorate degrees.

Each year the workforce is strengthened by 15,000 post-secondary graduates

University Enrolment of 43,308 students (2006-07)
Community College enrolment exceeds 10,505 (2008-09)

Source: Nova Scotia Business Inc.

Universities

Nova Scotia has the most universities per capita in Canada. Most of the universities in Nova Scotia are located within a one hundred mile (160 Kms) radius of Pictou County. These universities offer a wide variety of course options in a vast number of disciplines ranging from undergraduate degrees, to technical trades to doctorate degrees. As well, most of these universities offer international calibre research and technical facilities.

UNIVERSITY	LOCATION
St. Francis Xavier University	Antigonish
Dalhousie University/Dal Tech	Halifax
Saint Mary's University	Halifax
University of Kings College	Halifax
Mount St. Vincent University	Halifax
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design	Nova Scotia College of Art & Design
Atlantic School of Theology	Halifax
Acadia University	Wolfville
Nova Scotia Agricultural College	Truro
Universite Sainte-Anne	Church Point
Cape Breton University	Sydney

Community College

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), Pictou Campus, is a post-secondary institution committed to serving the needs of students by offering training, education and the opportunity for lifelong learning. The college is pro-active in responding to the economic development strategies of the province within the Canadian and global economy. NSCC has 13 campuses throughout the province.

The Pictou Campus is a learning-centered environment located in the Town of Stellarton and serves the northern and eastern parts of mainland Nova Scotia. The campus provides pre-employment applied education and skills training to the second largest manufacturing economy in Nova Scotia. Programs at Pictou Campus represent the following Academic Schools: Access, Applied Arts and New Media, Business, Health and Human Services, Trades and Technology.

NSCC also provides an extensive upgrading and career advancement curriculum, designed to meet the needs of Pictou County residents seeking to upgrade their skills on a part-time basis.

Pictou Campus has an enrolment of 675 full-time students and 1000 part-time students. Pictou Campus has a long-standing training partnership with area employers through customized training.