IELTS Conestoga celebrated its 25th anniversary at an event held December 8 at the Kitchener - Doon campus.
IELTS Conestoga recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a world-recognized assessment of English language proficiency for those who wish to study, work or immigrate in an English-speaking environment. Conestoga established Canada’s first official IELTS Testing Centre in 1997 and now delivers tests at 17 centres across the country.
“Just because we were the first in Canada doesn’t guarantee that we’d still be around at this point,” said Shawn Brake, IELTS director and executive dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, as he welcomed members of the IELTS team. “I want to underscore what that means … 25 successful years would not be possible without everyone here.”
During the event, service awards were presented to employees - many of whom were recognized for their 10, 15 and more than 20 years of service to IELTS.
“Here we are with those who could join us from Ontario to celebrate 25 years together as a team supporting the dreams and goals of our candidates in Canada and abroad,” said Taylor Petrie, IELTS assistant manager, before presenting awards.
Petrie also noted the dedication of the team as it pivoted operations over the past few years to accommodate operational challenges resulting from the pandemic.
Conestoga administers both paper-based and computer-based testing at several Conestoga campuses and at locations across Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. More recently, the Conestoga-Milton IELTS Centre celebrated its official opening. The centre marks Conestoga’s first step towards the establishment of a local campus to meet the workforce and community needs of Milton.
The IELTS Conestoga team has also been recognized with international awards. During the International Test Centre Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand in September 2022, Conestoga was presented with awards in three categories: Best Audit in the Americas, Excellence in Volume Growth for paper-based IELTS in the Americas, and the global IELTS Inspiration Award.
To learn more, visit IELTS Conestoga.