The Minister of Colleges and Universities, as well as the Parliamentary Assistant took an exclusive tour of several facilities at St. Clair College's Main Windsor campus during a two-day visit on July 29 and 30, 2024.
Jill Dunlop, the MPP for Simcoe North, along with Bob Bailey, the MPP for Sarnia-Lambton joined officials from St. Clair College on July 29 for a discussion about various program offerings at St. Clair College and how the College is working to train people for in-demand professions in the skilled trades.
St. Clair College President Michael Silvaggi hosted the special tour, along with the College's administrative team, School Chairs, and faculty members.
"The opportunity to host Minister Dunlop has been extremely beneficial as the College's new President, with the added bonus of being able to introduce her to a number of our community partners during the past two days," said President Silvaggi. "It allowed us to re-emphasize to her our philosophy – and our practice – of total involvement in the educational and training process."
The tour brought Minister Dunlop and Parliamentary Assistant Bailey to the Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing, where they toured the facility and spoke with students in the electrical apprenticeship program.
"Being on campuses and talking to students about their experiences is the most rewarding part of being the Minister of Colleges and Universities," said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. "I was grateful to have the opportunity to visit St. Clair's Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing, joined by our new PA, Bob Bailey, to see firsthand the incredible work being done to build Ontario's skilled trades sector."
The members of provincial parliament also walked through the Centre for Construction Innovation where they engaged with students in the Mechanical Techniques - precision metal cutting program.
"It's not just about what happens in the classroom, but about connecting our students with private- and public-sector enterprises to ensure that they have the most relevant and up-to-date skills needed by employers," President Silvaggi said. "That goal of thorough job-preparedness is certainly the province's goal as well, and we are always thrilled to demonstrate to the Minister that we're delivering precisely that."
A handful of partners of the College were also in attendance during the tour, including Rose Anguiano Hurst, the Executive Director of Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc., executives from Ford Canada's Windsor operations, and Larry Koscielski, the Vice President of Process and Technology Development at CentreLine Windsor Limited.
On Tuesday, July 30, Minister Dunlop visited the Village at St. Clair, a long-term care home located on campus. During the visit, Minister Dunlop was taken on a tour the facility, which is a collaboration between educators, students, caregivers, and residents – the neighbours who call The Village home.
The Village at St. Clair is a place where students in the College's Gerontology, Fitness and Health Promotion, Paramedic, Personal Support Worker and Hospitality and Tourism programs all attend for live training in the so-called "living classrooms."
Operators of The Village also boasted the collaborative training environment, which gives management the ability to recruit future employees right out of school, post-graduation.
