Conestoga news

October 13, 2022 11:36 AM

Leadership gift supports development of Skilled Trades campus

The Cowan Foundation will provide a leadership gift to support the development and expansion of Conestoga’s new Skilled Trades campus on Reuter Drive in Cambridge. The announcement was made today at an event held at the campus, which opened in September 2022.

The Cowan Foundation is a longstanding partner and supporter of Conestoga initiatives, creating additional opportunities for students across multiple campuses, enhancing the learning experience and providing capacity to address the urgent workforce needs of the local community.

“Past experience has demonstrated the positive impact of an investment in Conestoga College,” said Maureen Cowan, Chair of the Board of The Cowan Foundation. “They continue to create new innovative opportunities for students to achieve their academic goals by providing more pathways for people to seek post-secondary education, in a manner that is responsive to students’ changing needs, as well as the requirements of businesses and organizations. We are extremely pleased to be able to support this next phase of the College’s evolution.”

 “We are deeply grateful for the leadership of The Cowan Foundation in supporting Conestoga’s efforts to address the needs of our growing community, foster innovation and create new opportunities for individuals to build the skills and knowledge that will contribute to successful careers, stronger businesses, improved health and well-being and economic growth across our dynamic region,” said Conestoga president John Tibbits.

Phase 1 of the new Skilled Trades campus includes a 322,000 sq ft building with 150,000 sq ft devoted to shops and labs. Program delivery for many of the college's signature trades programs began in September 2022, with additional programs scheduled to commence there in September 2023.

When fully realized, the campus will include multiple buildings across the 41-acre property, which will serve as home to all of the college's skilled trades programs and help position Conestoga as Canada's premier destination for skilled trades education and training.

The new campus will allow Conestoga to expand trades and apprenticeship offerings, adding new programs and increasing the capacity of existing programs where there is significant demand in industry. Upgrading programs to support learners in their efforts to develop the requisite skills to access programming or succeed in the workplace will also be available on-site.

The new campus will provide ongoing skills development opportunities for the existing skilled trades workforce, support applied research activity and expand Conestoga’s capacity to address current and emerging industry challenges.

The Welcome Centre at the new Skilled Trades campus will be named in recognition of the generous support of The Cowan Foundation.

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About The Cowan Foundation

The Cowan Foundation was started in 1995 in honour of Frank Cowan, the founder of Princeton Holdings Limited. The Foundation is sustained by the ongoing success of the Princeton Holdings group of companies including Cowan Insurance Group, which provides insurance and risk management solutions to clients, and Fountain Street Finance. The goal of The Cowan Foundation is to make a positive difference in the lives of Canadians and the broader well-being of our communities. For more information, visit www.cowanfoundation.ca