McGuinty Government Helps Update Learning Environments for Students
TORONTO, April 25 - Colleges across Ontario will receive a total of $60 million in provincial funding over three years to help them purchase new, modern equipment for classrooms and labs.
Conestoga College will receive $370,110 this year. Additional instalments will be made over the next two years.
Types of equipment this funding could be used for include:
- Computers or software for classroom use
- Books or digital materials for libraries
- Equipment or machinery for lab instruction
All of Ontario's 21 colleges of applied arts and technology and the three institutes of technology and advanced learning (Conestoga, Humber and Sheridan) will receive a portion of funding which they can spend on equipment most needed at the institution.
This funding is part of the $1.5 billion in investments announced in the 2008 Budget for Ontario's colleges, universities and training programs. It represents the government's commitment to ensuring Ontario students have access to the best learning environments with the most current equipment and technology.
At the announcement event held at Conestoga on the morning of April 25, Minister John Milloy singled out Conestoga in his remarks about the province-wide funding program known as the College Equipment Renewal Fund.
"Conestoga College has some of the best technology programs around and has one of the highest employment rates for new graduates of any Ontario college. This funding will help Conestoga keep up with changes in the industry and make sure students in the Kitchener-Waterloo area remain some of the most highly sought-after workers," said Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy.
"To compete in tomorrow's global economy, today's students must be trained on the most modern, up-to-date equipment and software available. Investing in our students is an investment in Ontario's future," added Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Leeanna Pendergast.
"The commitment of this government through the College Equipment Renewal Fund is very important for Ontario's colleges. Our mandate is to provide skills education related to economic development. Colleges need up-to-date equipment and facilities in order to offer lasting value to students and employers. Initiatives such as this fund go a long way towards making that possible," said Conestoga College President John Tibbits.
Ontario's colleges are a phenomenal and productive success story.
90.1 per cent of Ontario college graduates last year have already found employment, and 92.6 per cent of their employers are glad they hired them.
More than one million students have graduated from Ontario's colleges since they were founded in 1967. In 2005, more than 59,000 students graduated from colleges in Ontario, up from 37,000 per year ten years earlier.