By Bonnie James/Deputy News Editor


College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) president Dr Ken MacLeod has expressed confidence that the institution “will continue to offer high quality technical education to thousands of students in the country”.
Dr MacLeod’s reaction comes in the wake of reports about uncertainty regarding renewal of the institution’s agreement with Qatar.
“CNA-Q has been Qatar’s premier technical college for the past decade,” he told Gulf Times yesterday.
In less than six months, if the government of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador does not sign a new agreement with Qatar, hundreds of employees at the CNA-Q could be out of work, The Telegram has reported from Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Nobody really knows what’s going on, but employees - many from this province - are getting worried,” the report titled “Province mum on CNA-Qatar contract” said.
“As of July 2 everyone is out of work and out of the country,” said one employee, who spoke to The Telegram via e-mail on the condition of anonymity.
“The Canadians have to arrange to move their lives home and find new work before then. This is significant. You cannot find a new job in Canada and move countries on a day’s notice.  Employees here are very upset.”
Since 2002, CNA has operated the Qatar campus. The provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador gets paid by Qatar for running the school.
CNA-Q was initially set up under a 10-year “comprehensive agreement” between Qatar and Newfoundland and Labrador. When the agreement expired last year, the governments signed a one-year extension, which expires on August 31 this year. But for CNA-Q employees, the academic year ends on July 2, and if there’s no new agreement signed, they’re done.
One of Qatar’s largest post-secondary institutions, CNA-Q has more than 650 staff; a majority of whom are from Newfoundland and Labrador,  around 4,600 students (full time & part time), including a substantial Qatari representation and 2,000 alumni.
The institution combines a Canadian curriculum and industry expertise in four programme areas, such as Health Sciences,   Information Technology, Engineering Technology and Business Studies. CNA-Q also runs Security Academy and Centre for Banking and Financial Studies.
A spokesman for Newfoundland and Labrador’s Advanced Education and Skills Minister Joan Shea told The Telegram she would not comment on the situation.
In an e-mailed statement to the daily, CNA president Ann Marie Vaughan said she could not talk about the situation while negotiations were happening.
“Discussions are ongoing with the State of Qatar, we are optimistic that we will be able to report soon. As we are at a sensitive stage in these discussions we prefer not to comment further.”
Andrew Parsons, Member of the House of Assembly for the district of Burgeo – La Poile, said the lack of answers really left college employees hanging.
“Regardless of which way it’s going, the people that are directly affected by it, employees and family, I think they have a right to know where this stands,” he told The Telegram.
Parsons has been vocal on the issues surrounding CNA-Q. He is convinced that it is a good project, and he wants to see the comprehensive agreement renewed, but he also thinks that the government has managed it poorly.
“One of the concerns is that there are a lot of people that are over there that are saying, ‘Look, where am I going to be next year? What am I going to do?” Parsons said.
“Some of these people might already be planning exit strategies, which can’t be good for any organisation.”
Some financial management issues had reportedly strained the relations between Qatar and the Newfoundland and Labrador government, following $5mn in excess payments to CNA-Q employees.
“I, personally, believe it (the agreement) will be renewed. Obviously I would like to stay in Doha – it’s become home!” a CNA-Q employee told Gulf Times yesterday.