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The college’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) course in Charlottetown is expanding to the new Summerside Waterfront Campus in time for the September opening. The program held an information session at the Holman Centre, which houses some e-health companies, over the March Break with the aim of recruiting students. While the session was hampered by a snowstorm, CIS program manager Natalie Mitton is optimistic that the course will attract a full complement of 20 students for its inaugural year in Summerside.

“We didn’t have a great turnout, but… we’re making strides with a late launch of recruiting that’s happening through Holland College. Sometimes those events are a little difficult to drag your numbers in,” she said. “There’s a need (in the IT sector), and by word of mouth and the support of industry we’re hoping to get the seats filled.”

The Summerside program received a boost from the federal government in February when the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) provided it with over $220,000 in funding. Mitton said money has been spent so far on equipment, as well as software and curriculum development. Unlike the college’s Charlottetown-based program, the Summerside CIS course will exclusively feature training geared toward the e-health sector. That means students in the second year of the program will be offered some optional e-health training courses, along with on-the-job-training with the businesses in the Holman Building.