Georgian College unveiled plans on Thursday to expand its Centre for Skilled Trades at the Barrie Campus – transforming the existing space to help sustain and grow the highly skilled trades workforce this region needs for a strong, sustainable and green future.
The initiative is supported by the County of Simcoe and during the announcement the two partners recognized a significant $1.5 million funding commitment by the County towards making this project possible. The project aligns with County’s regional economic development strategies to grow and support the skilled trades and meet the needs of the regional workforce in Simcoe County.
Through this project, the college will modernize the existing building and add approximately 20,000 square feet of additional space. Once complete, the state-of-the-art facility will support the development of a future-ready skilled trades workforce that is capable in robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced digital technologies.
The timing of this investment is critical as the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development estimates one in six job openings will be in the skilled trades by 2026. Also, according to Lightcast – a global labour market analytics firm – the growth rate for skilled trades in Georgian’s catchment area is outpacing the provincial rate. The Georgian catchment rate is 27 per cent, compared to the provincial rate of 12 per cent.
“For almost 60 years, Georgian has been an experienced and trusted workforce development partner, and we know how important the skilled trades are to a variety of sectors in our region,” said Kevin Weaver, President and CEO, Georgian College. “The skilled trades are one of our areas of strength and to continue being responsive to industry needs and to offer our students an unrivaled skilled trades learning environment, we need to modernize our centre to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0.”
The expanded Centre for Skilled Trades will include a new lab for heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning, major renovations to the lab for carpentry and machining programs, a second and third-floor addition with collaborative spaces, energy-efficient designs, and more.
County of Simcoe Warden Basil Clarke discussed why this is important to the region.
"Our $1.5 million investment in Georgian College's Centre for Skilled Trades isn't just building up local infrastructure – it’s engineering our future,” said Clarke. “We're laying the foundation for generations of skilled professionals who will continue to build up and strengthen Simcoe County, right here at home."
The Warden’s announcement brings the County of Simcoe’s total investment in Georgian College to more than $10 million over the past decade.
Georgian currently offers over 39 skilled trades programs across its Barrie, Midland, Muskoka and Owen Sound campuses, including a mix of diplomas, certificates and apprenticeship training. The facility in Barrie alone will support approximately 1,000 students each academic year, with capacity to welcome more.
Programming decisions are made in close consultation with industry representatives who sit on Georgian’s program advisory committees to help ensure programs are designed to support the evolving workforce, today and into the future.
"Being industry-connected with our partners is essential to building a strong economic future in our region,” said Dr. Rebecca Sabourin, Dean, Engineering and Environmental Technologies, Skilled Trades. “Georgian’s community partners play a critical role in helping our students and graduates further develop their skills and paving the way for fulfilling careers. Together, we’re helping to create diverse pathways that will ensure the optimal talent pipeline for thriving communities.”
Industry partners are also supportive of this expansion project. The Gene Haas Foundation also announced a generous $1 million grant toward the largest immersive learning space within the future expanded Centre for Skilled Trades – an advanced machining lab.
“The Gene Haas Foundation has a long history with Georgian College, aligned with our foundation’s mission to introduce and educate individuals to the field of manufacturing technologies, specifically CNC machining,” said Kathy Looman, Director, Education Grants, Scholarships and Sponsorships, Gene Haas Foundation. “We are so proud to be partnering with Georgian on this amazing space to increase the capacity and the advanced technology for more students to receive a phenomenal launch into their futures.”
At present, the machining lab supports students from five postsecondary programs and three apprenticeship programs.
Georgian is recognized internationally for its excellence in machining and CNC training, a reputation built on the dedication of its exceptional faculty and the success of its students. Recent alumnus Ethan McCallum competed at the 2024 WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France and achieved record-breaking success for Team Canada.
The Centre for Skilled Trades expansion has been designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. To learn more about the project, visit www.GeorgianCollege.ca/futureoftrades.
Interested in studying in a skilled trades program? Register to attend Georgian’s Virtual Open House on Jan. 25 to learn more. Register at www.GeorgianCollege.ca/openhouse.
