A local college says it's "hugely disappointing" to be left out of a massive investment into skilled trades training centres announced by the province.
Ontario has pledged $299 million to build new training centres, upgrade existing ones and introduce new programming to get more people trained in the skilled trades.
The March 21 announcement says there's $224 million reserved to build and upgrade training centres, while the remaining $75 million, to be rolled out over three years, will go toward operations and programming. It's targeted at careers such as electricians, welders and mechanics.
"It is inexplicable that colleges are excluded from the funding," reads a news release from Northern College.
With four campuses in the north, including in Timmins, the college offers a variety of courses in the skilled trades and has been making investments in its facilities.
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“This is hugely disappointing for our students, our colleges and employers in our community,” said Audrey Penner, Northern College president and CEO, in the news release. “Colleges provide many of the best opportunities to prepare students for careers in the skilled trades and should have been a major part of this announcement.”
The college is calling on the province to invest in the fiscal sustainability of college programs in addition to the private training centres. The post-secondary institution is urging the government to improve and expand infrastructure and work with the sector on a "more responsible approach to skills training."
“Investing in our students and their future careers has to be a priority,” Penner said. “That means Ontario must invest in the high-quality programs at our colleges.”
