Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC) has donated $150,000 to Conestoga College in support of technical education and the College's aim of increasing technical learning opportunities that address current and future labour market needs in the high-concentration manufacturing region where both TMMC and Conestoga are located.
The result of the donation will be a significant acquisition and upgrading of equipment and materials at Conestoga's Manufacturing and Automation Training Centre, located at the Doon campus in Kitchener.
Speaking of the donation and the long-standing relationship between Conestoga and Toyota, Peter Barrett, Vice-President of Manufacturing Control at TMMC, comments, "Conestoga College provides a valuable service to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. through the targeted training they provide to existing and future TMMC employees. We hope this donation will help to foster our partnership in providing the industry-specific skills training so critical in today's global economy."
Conestoga is in the process of obtaining equipment, computers and monitors needed to run additional activity in the computerized manufacturing areas of programmable logic control machinery and processes. This enhanced capability will benefit a wide range of students: in selected full-time engineering technology programs; in a number of part-time, continuing education courses; and in customized corporate training designed by the College in consultation with specific employers/sectors.
Ingrid Town, Conestoga's Executive Director of Development, believes that the Toyota-Conestoga partnership is an outstanding example of education for economic progress, "TMMC and Conestoga have enjoyed a thriving and mutually beneficial relationship over the years. We train quite a number of TMMC employees annually in areas ranging from multiskill maintenance to communication skills. In turn, TMMC has hired our graduates and has supported the College on an ongoing basis through donations. We are thrilled with this newest donation -- a significant investment that will benefit for years to come students in our School of Engineering and Information Technology, and Trades and Apprenticeship."
In recognition of TMMC's generous support, Conestoga has designated three large classroom/lab areas at the Manufacturing and Automation Training Centre as the Lexus classroom, the Corolla classroom and the Matrix classroom, in acknowledgment of the product lines at TMMC's Cambridge plant.
CONTACT:
Ingrid Town, Conestoga College, 519-748-5220, ext. 3490, itown@conestogac.on.ca ;
Pat Clement, TMMC, 519-653-1111, ext. 224, pclement@tmmc.ca