Conestoga’s Milton - Parkhill Drive campus will welcome students in the new year.
Conestoga’s Milton - Parkhill Drive campus will welcome first students at the start of the winter term on January 8. Pictured: Milton campus manager Liz McMahan.
Final touches are being put on campus buildings to be ready to open doors on the first day of winter-term classes on January 8.
“It’s really exciting to have a footprint here and with the second building opening in the spring to serve the community,” said Liz McMahan, Milton campus manager.
The Milton - Steeles Avenue location, which will be home to the Conestoga Centre of Excellence in Healthcare Education, opens in spring 2024 to offer hands-on nursing and personal support worker training.
The two new sites will join the Conestoga-Milton IELTS Centre, which opened on Main Street in 2021 to provide English language testing services for people who need to demonstrate language proficiency for education, employment or immigration. It also serves as a site for dual-credit programming for local high school students.
The Parkhill campus, located at 8160 Parkhill Dr. just north of Highway 401, is a renovated two-storey building with three classrooms on each floor and a one-floor modular building next door with space for an additional five classrooms -- a combined total of 11 classrooms and more than 25,000 sq. ft.
Parkhill is expecting close to 800 students in January, with capacity for 2,000 full-time students in a variety of study areas, including Workforce Development, Business, Creative Industries, and Applied Computer Science & IT.
The buildings are bright, with lots of windows and natural light. “It’s everywhere in the space,” McMahan said.
The natural light streaming into the space is complemented by the interior design, which incorporates soft colours and natural textures of wood, brick, leafy wallpaper and carpeting that looks like moss on cobblestones to create a calming atmosphere.
Amenities include a lounge space on the main floor, including a café, library, health and wellness support, Talent Hub, international office, academic and learning support, bookstore, testing centre and the college’s student union, Conestoga Students Inc.
Milton is eager for Conestoga and Wilfrid Laurier University to move into town and work collaboratively on the long-term Milton Education Village vision -- creating a “world-class educational hub” in the city.
“This exciting partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College opens doors of opportunity for our local youth, providing them with the chance to pursue their higher education aspirations right here in Milton,” Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz said in a news release. “Beyond the educational benefits, the presence of these institutions realizes our Milton Education Village vision and promises to energize our local economy, creating new prospects for businesses and residents alike.”
Milton Transit recently announced a new route to serve the Parkhill and Steeles locations in the new year as well as a transit pass for Conestoga students. A bus stop was added just in front of the Parkhill location, where there are about 200 parking spots. It is expected most students will take transit.
Conestoga President John Tibbits said the college is committed to supporting social and economic prosperity in Milton with relevant, accessible, career-focused programming to address local workforce needs. “We look forward to the full realization of the Milton Education Village as we continue to work with local employers and support individuals as they build the necessary skills and knowledge to launch successful careers.”
Conestoga is dedicated to bringing real-world learning, in-demand skills, and job-ready training to Milton. Find out more on the Milton locations web page.