On March 26, Pam Damoff, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Burlington North – Oakville, visited the Welland Campus to announce new measures the federal government is proposing in its budget to better support students and individuals considering a career in the skilled trades.
Parliamentary Secretary Damoff made the announcement from inside NC’s Construction Lab, in the Rankin Tech Centre. She was joined by Niagara Centre Member of Parliament Vance Badawey and St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle, and surrounded by students in the college’s Electrical Techniques program and Carpentry and Renovation Techniques program. Damoff also had the opportunity to meet several of those students and see first-hand how they’re learning the hands-on skills that will make them future leaders in the skilled trades.
L-R: Associate Dean of the School of Trades Jeff Murrell, VP External Relations Greg Medulun and PS Damoff speak with Electrical Techniques student David Fimiak
Canada’s skilled trades are facing a growing demand for trained individuals – and that sets up Niagara College grads for success in the future. Parliamentary Damoff’s announcement referenced the government’s plan to reduce student debt, and allocate $40 million to promote the skilled trades as a career option to young Canadians.
Niagara College is also opening new doors for those interested in the skilled trades, offering three brand new pre-apprenticeship programs that will launch in April 2019. Most noteworthy is an Automotive Service Technician Pre-Apprenticeship program open to women only. The college is also offering a General Machinist program that prepares students for an Apprenticeship in Machining, as well as an Electrician-Construction Maintenance Program prepares students for a career as an Electrician.
Owing to her portfolio as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, following a tour of the construction lab as well as the adjacent Electrical Techniques Lab, Damoff also toured NC’s Dental Lab to witness some of the state-of-the-art equipment that has made NC one of the country’s leading training centres in the dental field. The group also got a chance to take in some of NC’s expertise in additive manufacturing as they toured labs in the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre.
L-R: PS Damoff tours the Dental Lab with MPs Chri Bittle and Vance Badawey, accompanied by VP External Relations Greg Medulun and guided by Carolyn Triemstra, Dean of Community and Health Studies.
