Linamar Corporation, a diversified global manufacturing company of highly engineered products, will provide $500,000 to Conestoga College over the next five years to support a new scholarship program for students pursuing education in preparation for careers in industrial skilled trades.
Linamar Corporation announced the company’s support for a new scholarship program to support students pursuing education and training in industrial skilled trades n June 25, 2015. Above L-R: Jeff Scherer, President, Conestoga Students Inc.; Julia Biedermann, Executive Dean, School of Engineering and Information Technology and School of Trades and Apprenticeships (MC); Linda Hasenfratz, CEO, Linamar Corporation; Shaun Scott, Director of Human Resources, Linamar Corporation; and John Tibbits, President, Conestoga College.
The Linamar Corporation Industrial Skilled Trades Scholarships will provide six students entering Conestoga’s Mechanical Technician - General Machinist two-year diploma program with more than $3,000 each to offset the costs associated with their studies. The scholarship will be renewed for those who successfully complete their first year of studies with good academic standing and return to complete the program. In total the scholarship will fund half the costs for the program or more than $6,000 per student.
Six additional scholarships will be awarded to qualified applicants each year. Recipients will be offered co-op term employment with Linamar during their program as well as full-time employment upon successful completion.
The scholarship program was announced at a special presentation held today at Conestoga’s Cambridge campus.
"We are so pleased to be partnering with Conestoga on this important initiative", said Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz, "Skilled trades people are quite simply the cornerstone to success in our business -- from cycle time optimization to tooling improvements to purchasing, processing and optimizing equipment performance, our trades people work hand in hand with our engineers and other technical staff to create innovation and solidify our competitiveness. This partnership will allow us to encourage our smartest and most innovative young people into a career in manufacturing to our mutual benefit."
“Attracting and retaining talent to meet the workforce needs of the manufacturing sector is critical to the continued growth and prosperity of our region,” said Conestoga President John Tibbits. “We are very pleased to work with Linamar to provide opportunities for youth to pursue the education and training that will prepare them to support the success and global competitiveness of manufacturing employers here in our community.”
Manufacturing is the largest employment sector in Waterloo Wellington and is often described as the backbone of the area's economy. In 2013, the sector represented 19 per cent of total employment in Waterloo Region and 19.4 per cent in Wellington County, providing jobs for more than 68,000 individuals.
Conestoga’s Mechanical Technician - General Machinist program is a two-year Ontario College Diploma program that prepares graduates to produce high-quality tooling and machined components for the precision machining and tooling industries. It includes classroom and hands-on training as well as paid work placements to provide students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in modern manufacturing environments and adapt to evolving technology.
Applications for September 2015 entry are still open. For more information, visit the program website