The University of Lethbridge would seem to have little in common with Olds College but a new cooperative agreement between the two institutions could see a number of Olds graduates headed to U of L campuses.

Bringing much-needed skill combinations to the Alberta workforce, representatives of Olds College and the University of Lethbridge will sign off on an agreement ultimately offering additional educational options for students and graduates of the Olds College Land Agent Diploma program. The signing will take place Friday at the U of L's Calgary Campus, located on the SAIT campus.

Land Agents (often called Landmen) are responsible for negotiating access to the land and freehold mineral rights for activities such as exploration, development and transporting of onshore oil and gas, or erecting and maintaining power lines. Millions of dollars in land claims are handled every year, with the oil and gas industry being a significant employer.

Approximately 1,500 land agents are registered in Alberta working for energy companies as well as landowners, and play a vital, irreplaceable role in land access negotiations. Approximately 50 students graduate from Olds College's Land Agent Diploma program per year.

With this new partnership, students who have earned a Land Agent Diploma from Olds College will be immediately eligible to enroll in the U of L's Bachelor of Management Degree Program.

In as little as two and a half years, students can obtain a General Management degree from the U of L at its Lethbridge, Calgary or Edmonton campuses, where they can choose from daytime programs (Lethbridge) or afternoon and evening programming (Calgary and Edmonton).