A $750,000 donation by PowerStream to Georgian for its new Centre for Sustainable Technologies building at the Barrie Campus is seen as the first step in the company and college forming a partnership that will support Georgian’s new facilities, provide additional resources for post-secondary students attending the institution, upgrade the skills of people in the workforce and help to offset a future skills shortage in the utilities sector.
This major financial gift from PowerStream will be of particular benefit for students enrolled in the College’s renowned utilities-focused Electrical Engineering Technology program, and the two-year Electrical Power Technician diploma program which will be offered this fall for the first time.
PowerStream, after a merger earlier this year with Barrie Hydro, is now the electric utility which distributes power to homes and businesses in Barrie and many other municipalities in Simcoe County and York Region.
“We are thrilled to make this donation to a post-secondary institution that for many years has been instrumental in educating and training the residents of Central Ontario,” said Brian Bentz, PowerStream President and CEO.
“Georgian has provided us with some tremendously skilled co-op students and graduates who have come to work for us and proven to be valuable assets as employees. This new partnership will help to mitigate potential skilled-labour shortages in certain parts of our organization as we see approximately one-third of our employees over the next decade move closer to retiring.”
The Centre for Sustainable Technologies, which will officially open in September 2009, will have a PowerStream Electrical Engineering Technology wing.
The new classrooms and labs will allow for an additional 700 students to pursue engineering technology careers at Georgian. The recently completed 18,000 square-foot facility, along with the programs that will be taught onsite, are generating a great deal of interest among students seeking career opportunities in the utilities sector.
Applications received to date have far exceeded the college’s expectations.
“There is huge demand for our Electrical programs. Students are aware that pursuing studies in Electrical Engineering Technology and Technician can lead to rewarding careers with world-class companies, like PowerStream, that are recognized for being best-in-class employers and industry leaders,” said Robert Emptage, Georgian’s Dean of the School of Technology, Environment and Apprenticeship.
“We are pleased to be partnering with an organization that strives to make a difference within the communities it serves. Everyone involved in this partnership is looking forward to helping PowerStream support its existing workforce and provide the workforce it needs in the future.”
This donation made by PowerStream is the latest highlight in Georgian’s $25-million Power of Education campaign for growth and development. To date, $19 million has been contributed by generous donors such as PowerStream in benefit of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, the future Georgian Centre for Health and Wellness, as well as Georgian’s Midland, Muskoka and Owen Sound campuses.
The Georgian Awards and Scholarhips Program, a vital financial lifeline for students, will also benefit from the campaign.
Pictured (from l-r) PowerStream’s $750,000 donation to Georgian College will result in the best possible learning environ:ment for students who are working towards a career in the electric and power distribution industry. Robert Emptage, Dean of Georgian’s School of Technology, Engineering and Apprenticeship; Brian Bentz, PowerStream’s President and CEO; Ken Parkes, Georgian graduate and recently hired PowerStream employee, and Brian Tamblyn, President and CEO of Georgian College, met to tour Georgian’s soon-to-open Centre for Sustainable Technologies where new classrooms, labs and power distribution and utilities-focused equipment and technologies await students.