THUNDER BAY – A new state-of-the-art training facility at Confederation College is getting a push forward with a multi-million dollar pledge from the provincial government.
The province on Friday announced a commitment of $7 million towards the total $20 million price tag for the college to build a technology, education and collaboration hub that will allow the school to consolidate many of their trades and technology programs into a single building.
The new facility, which will be connected to the existing McIntyre Building and is tentatively expected to be open in the fall of 2018, will enhance manufacturing and skilled trades programs at the college, said president Jim Madder.
“Overall to the manufacturing students it will be more space, more equipment, more and greater opportunities to work with employers and greater opportunities for us to increase the level at which our students are working,” Madder said.
“I think the fact that we’re bringing more similar programs together, such as manufacturing can work with instrumentation, with electrical engineering, with mechanical engineering, it shows how all those different elements come together.”
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Currently, the college offers some of their technology and manufacturing programs on campus and at the Aviation Centre of Excellence, which is located on the grounds of the Thunder Bay International Airport.
Madder estimates the additional space the new building will provide could allow the college to accept about 50 per cent more students per year in their manufacturing and trades programs.
The new capital project was first unveiled two weeks ago when it was prominently featured as a line item in the provincial budget.
MPP Michael Gravelle (Lib., Thunder Bay-Superior North) said the new hub has the potential to diversify the Northern Ontario workforce.
“We can bring advanced manufacturing back in a very strong way to Northwestern Ontario by preparing students and young people to be in that position,” he said. “This is really truly recognizing what we need to do in order to positon ourselves to have our graduates be ready for the jobs that are there.”
It comes at a time when jobs in skilled trades, manufacturing and the resource sector might be needed more than ever, with an estimated one in five jobs in Northern Ontario being in those field.
“We’re moving into a different, more innovative economy so this is about taking advantage of that opportunity,” Gravelle said.
“Certainly when I look at it from my perspective as minister of northern development and mines, we recognize the resource-based sector continues to be incredibly important but I think we really have an opportunity to build advanced manufacturing trade skills and have people come to Confederation College to do that.”
Madder said the college is working to lobby the federal government and other sources for the remaining funding.
