Conestoga announces the Fall 2022 opening of their new Skilled Trades Training Campus
by CM Staff
Conestoga aims to help fill a critical skilled trades gap in the Ontario economy through offering programs at its new campus.
On June 23, Conestoga College announced the Fall 2022 opening of their new Skilled Trades Training Campus, which began development in 2019.
The 250,000 square foot facility at 25 Reuter Drive, is located in the Cambridge Business Park with visibility and proximity to Highway 401. Originally constructed in 2003 with substantial renovations completed in 2009, the facility includes upgraded office and manufacturing areas ideally suited to unique requirements of trades education and training.
More than 130 companies supported the development of the new campus and Conestoga’s trades programs.
Ontario faces a critical shortage of talent in the skilled trades and in 2017, the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance reported that up to 41 per cent of its members would hire more employees if they could find people with the right skills.
According to BuildForce Canada, the construction sector in Ontario alone will require 104,000 new construction and maintenance workers by 2028.
The provincial government predicts that one in five new jobs in Ontario over the next five years will be in trades-related occupations. Attracting new entrants into trades education and training programs is an essential first step towards addressing Ontario’s skilled trades talent shortage.
