The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) received an investment of $750,000 on Thursday from PotashCorp, to be used for upgrades to the student resource room.

The one they have now is "not terrible," said president, CEO and board chair of SIIT Randell Morris, but he thinks the new and improved version will make a big difference.

"They can access some of the neatest and newest technologies and bring us up to the century we're in now," he said.

"One of our main barriers for some of our students is access afterhours. When our campus closes at 5 o'clock, where do they go? If we can open up this space and welcome our students, they're going to come back and better their education."

The renovated room is to be renamed the "PotashCorp Student Success Centre," in honour of the company's decision to invest. After the announcement, SIIT presented two gifts to PotashCorp president Garth Moore.

"[The investment] is absolutely necessary, without Potash it would remain as you see it today," said Morris.

For the company's part, it's an investment likely to pay big dividends.

"We're looking at helping to develop our work force ... with all the expansions going on we're going to have the need for hundreds of new employees over the next five to ten years," said Moore,

"We like to get our name out in front of people ... this will help do that, and help get some of the technical students more familiar with our company."

The renovations and upgrades are planned to be finished by the end of the year.

jknoll@rawlco.com

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