Olds College sparks up pot production course

It's a job that would have been unthinkable just a few years agobut now, growers of legal weed are in demand.

Job boards are awash in postings for specialists trained in cultivating, producing and harvesting premium pot.

Universities across the country have been answering the call for skilled talent with new programs.

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Olds College is the latest to launch a cannabis production course, welcoming its first crop of students on Tuesday.

"I never thought [weed] would even be legalized in my lifetime," said Trish Stathers, a Kamloops, B.C. resident who is among 20 students enrolled in the program's opening class.

From grapes to buds

Stathers is setting aside her career in managing vineyardsto learn how to grow pot.

"I hope there's a bit more job stability than managing vineyards, where a bad season can ruin your crop," Stathers said. "I like the idea of growing indoors, where you can control the environment."

The course involves two months of online education, ranging from the basics of plant life cycles, to the legislative rules in handling pot and caring for cannabis plants. Students also get two weeks of on-the-job training at a cannabis company in the Olds area.

Sundial Growers, one of two companies offering hands-on learning, is preparing for a hiring spree.

Hunting for recruits

They're looking to recruit 250 people, maybe more, in the next year at their Olds grow facility, which is expected to receive its federal production license later this month.

"We are absolutely interested in getting access to trained talent," said Torsten Kuenzlen, Sundial's chief executive.

Olds College worked with Sundial and others in the industryto tailor its program to what recruiters are looking for.

Terra Life Sciences, another pot company offering on-the-job training to students, also expects to hire graduates.

"The graduates of the program are going to be very valuable to the industry and are going to support the industry in a big way," said Dr. Anil Jain, chief executive of Terra Life Sciences.

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