65 apprenticeship positions awarded
The province has given Fanshawe College a boost in pre-apprenticeship enrollment, in an attempt to attract more young people to the skilled trades.
On January 17, Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, announced the province would create and fund 700 pre-apprenticeship spaces in Ontario, with 65 of those spaces coming to Fanshawe.
“An apprenticeship enables a person to acquire skills for life that can lead to a well-paying, satisfying career,” said Bentley at Niagara College, where he made the announcement.
Fanshawe's London campus will receive 21 pre-apprenticeship positions in the truck and coach technician program, while the Simcoe campus will get 22 cook training positions and Woodstock will see 22 new carpentry spaces.
“For us it's an opportunity to continue working with pre-apprenticeship programs,” said Rod Cameron, Dean of Fanshawe's Motive Power Technology Division.
Fanshawe currently offers pre-apprenticeship programs in automotive service technician, truck and coach technician and general carpenter. The new intakes will begin in the spring or summer.
Cameron said the amount of building going on is at record levels and the industry needs skilled trades people who can meet the customers needs.
Fanshawe received the highest amount of spaces of all Ontario colleges, which Cameron attributed to the high rates of student employment and success.
“I think Fanshawe has a good reputation in delivering pre-apprenticeship programs,” he said.
The introductory programs are entirely funded by the government and are targeted towards recent high school graduates or those wanting more hands on experience before going into an apprenticeship.
“It's very difficult to get hired as an apprentice without having [training] like this,” added Cameron, who said that even textbooks and safety equipment are funded by the government.
“Our commitment to apprenticeship training includes increasing the number of new apprenticeship registrations by 7,000 to a total of 26,000 annually in 2007-08,” Bentley said.
Along with the additional training spaces at colleges throughout the province, Premier McGuinty has invested $7 million in 38 new projects aimed at increasing apprenticeship enrollment.
On January 17, Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, announced the province would create and fund 700 pre-apprenticeship spaces in Ontario, with 65 of those spaces coming to Fanshawe.
“An apprenticeship enables a person to acquire skills for life that can lead to a well-paying, satisfying career,” said Bentley at Niagara College, where he made the announcement.
Fanshawe's London campus will receive 21 pre-apprenticeship positions in the truck and coach technician program, while the Simcoe campus will get 22 cook training positions and Woodstock will see 22 new carpentry spaces.
“For us it's an opportunity to continue working with pre-apprenticeship programs,” said Rod Cameron, Dean of Fanshawe's Motive Power Technology Division.
Fanshawe currently offers pre-apprenticeship programs in automotive service technician, truck and coach technician and general carpenter. The new intakes will begin in the spring or summer.
Cameron said the amount of building going on is at record levels and the industry needs skilled trades people who can meet the customers needs.
Fanshawe received the highest amount of spaces of all Ontario colleges, which Cameron attributed to the high rates of student employment and success.
“I think Fanshawe has a good reputation in delivering pre-apprenticeship programs,” he said.
The introductory programs are entirely funded by the government and are targeted towards recent high school graduates or those wanting more hands on experience before going into an apprenticeship.
“It's very difficult to get hired as an apprentice without having [training] like this,” added Cameron, who said that even textbooks and safety equipment are funded by the government.
“Our commitment to apprenticeship training includes increasing the number of new apprenticeship registrations by 7,000 to a total of 26,000 annually in 2007-08,” Bentley said.
Along with the additional training spaces at colleges throughout the province, Premier McGuinty has invested $7 million in 38 new projects aimed at increasing apprenticeship enrollment.
