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NorQuest College has decided to develop more extension courses, outside the provincially funded system, as a way to cope with uncertain provincial budgets.

The local community college has been told to expect the same provincial funding freeze this spring as other post-secondary institutions.

It projected deficits of more than $1 million for the next three years in its 2010-14 business plan. The college is running a deficit of $183,000 this year on an operating budget of $73 million.

Extension courses will bring in money for the college since those who take them pay the full cost, said Jodi Abbott, who became president of the institution last July.

The college already runs Hope Studies and Fork Lift Certification as extension courses. New extension opportunities are in English as a second language and literacy, she said.

"Those are not credential-based programs in advanced education. (An extension course is) something like conflict management if you are a supervisor, for example," she said.

"Those are things individuals would pay for."

In the 2010-2011 budget, Nor-Quest listed $44.3 million in grants and government contributions compared to $15.3 million in tuition and related fees from students.

The new focus is part of a school-wide restructuring.

This week, 22 people -- roughly three per cent of the staff -- had their positions eliminated. At the same time, 17 new positions were created. Those positions will be posted internally first, Abbott said.

The restructuring also combined English as a second language and academic upgrading into one faculty. NorQuest's second faculty focuses on health studies. The third, focused on business and community studies, includes the department of extension.

Health and business will be the primary areas of growth, Abbott said. As for the layoffs, "we are flattening the organization where it makes sense," said Abbott, reducing the layers of management.

Carly Young, a first year social work student who sits on the board of governors for the college, said she doesn't think the changes will have much impact on current students.

"I've been reassuring the students," she said.

As for the extension courses, "a lot of these courses are going to be specialized. It's a great opportunity for the college because it adds to our diversity," she said.

"It's too bad, but money makes the world go around. If we want to get a new building, there's lots of work that needs to be done."