Conestoga College is one of Ontario's largest suppliers of apprenticeship education. In recognition of its achievements and an increased focus by the provincial government on the value of apprenticeships, the College has received more than $1.5 million to apply towards various pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship activities.
"This funding is very important," says Hans Zawada, Conestoga's Chair of Trades and Apprenticeship. "Compared to other regions of the province, most of our trades are manufacturing trades, and our region is much above the provincial and national averages for manufacturing industries. Conestoga College is very supportive of the importance and value of apprenticeship training. We deliver about ten per cent of all the college-based apprenticeship training in the province of Ontario."
Conestoga offers apprenticeship instruction in 13 registered trades through its Guelph and Doon campuses.
Apprenticeship combines employment, featuring on-the-job training, with three periods (basic, intermediate and advanced) of in-college training, resulting in the achievement of journeyperson status. The entire process usually takes four or five years.
Among the initiatives for which the College has received funding are the following:
> A grant of $220,000 will be used to launch a pre-apprenticeship
program in carpentry, beginning in April. In this program, 20 students
will become familiar with the carpentry trade and career opportunities,
as well as gain practical work experience. Those who complete the program
and obtain an apprenticeship will gain exemption from the basic phase
of in-college training.
> A grant of $375,000 under the Women In Skilled Trades initiative
will result in Conestoga offering two pre-apprenticeship programs for
women, both of which begin in March. One program is in carpentry, the
other in precision machining and tooling.
> A grant of $224,000 under the Journeyperson Updating program will
be used to develop and deliver new, advanced courses for journeypersons
already employed in the plumber/steamfitter trades. The Journeyperson
Updating program recognizes the need for apprentices to develop advanced
skills reflecting the reality of a workplace undergoing constant, often
dramatic technological change.
> A grant of $741,000 under the Apprenticeship Enhancement Fund will
go towards improving equipment and facilities for apprenticeship programs
throughout the College. The largest portion of the grant will be used
for a new apprenticeship program, machine tool builder integrator. Conestoga
is the only Ontario college to provide this training, which deals with
the advancement of the tool and die maker trade into the realm of automated
manufacturing systems.
Much recent attention has gone towards the introduction of applied degree programs at Conestoga and the College's achievement in being one of only three Ontario colleges to earn status as an Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL).
According to Conestoga President John Tibbits, however, the College remains firmly committed to its comprehensive mission and mandate as a full-service educational facility for the region, providing everything from preparatory and academic upgrading programs to to certificate and diploma programs in a broad range of career areas to degree and postgraduate programs.
An important part of the College's current operations and future plans is its commitment to apprenticeship training.
In the 2002-2003 academic year, approximately 2,300 apprentices will train at Conestoga College.
"Over the last seven years, we have doubled our apprenticeship enrolment," Zawada observes, adding that the College is planning for a further 30 per cent growth in apprenticeship activity in the future.
CONTACT: Hans Zawada, 519-824-9390, ext. 151 or 519-748-5220, ext. 3370,
hzawada@conestogac.on.ca