College of the Rockies, in partnership with Camosun College, has been contracted by the Lundin Foundation to conduct training for the Lodwar Vocational Training Centre (LVTC) in Lodwar, Kenya. Training will be provided to LVTC’s Board of Governors as well as to the Centre’s instructors.

The Lundin Foundation, founded in 2005 by the Lundin family, works with publicly traded natural resource companies to design, implement and monitor projects that benefit communities in Africa. The Foundation chose College of the Rockies to provide training to LVTC because of the college’s expertise and success with previous projects in East Africa.

The project officially kicked off in June 2015. In January, College of the Rockies President David Walls and Executive Director of International and Regional Development Patricia Bowron visited Lodwar and co-led a training session for the LVTC’s Board of Governors.  Using College of the Rockies Strategic Plan 2015-2020 as a guide, Walls and Bowron helped the LVTC Board develop strategic goals for their own institution.

“The LVTC Board of Governors were highly committed during the governance and strategic planning training,” said Walls. “Though they are a volunteer board with other jobs and responsibilities, they came to the training each day with the energy and enthusiasm required to take LVTC to the next level.”

Providing the training had its challenges in 38 degree heat with no air conditioning, so Walls and Bowron did their best to supplement theory with applied learning opportunities.

“We facilitated discussions with the board on their specific challenges and opportunities and these were used as incentives to complete their own Strategic Plan,” Walls continues.  “The board members were able to envision how the information being presented could help them to position LVTC to where they want to see it.”

Their strategy seems to have been successful. When polled by Lundin representatives at the conclusion of the training, Walls and Bowron were given good reviews.

During their two weeks in Kenya, a new training building at LVTC opened and equipment needed for training students arrived – all made possible through funding provided by the Lundin Foundation.

“The Lundin Foundation is proud to support skills development capacity in Turkana County by delivering modern and fully equipped training infrastructure and building human capacity at the LVTC,” notes Joy Muballe, Program Manager, East & Southern Africa – Lundin Foundation. “College of the Rockies is an important partner in developing management capabilities and strengthening instructor’s competence at the institution”

“It was a worthwhile trip,” Walls concludes.  “It was very rewarding to feel like we were contributing to the advancement of this developing region of Kenya.”

Above photo:  College of the Rockies’ President and CEO, David Walls (far right), and Executive Director of International and Regional Development, Patricia Bowron (fourth from right) provided training to the Lodwar Vocational Training Centre’s Board of Governors in Lodwar, Kenya.

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