St. Lawrence College Partners with Automotive Industries of Canada and Government of Ontario to Address Shortage of Tradespeople

Brockville/Kingston/Cornwall – St. Lawrence College (SLC) is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada), the Government of Ontario to continue delivering new auto care industry training to help address shortages in the industry’s workforce. An announcement was made today in London, Ontario, which expands the partnership to include Conestoga College, Fanshawe College, and Plug ‘N Drive.

The continuation of the training program is made possible by round three of the Ontario Government’s Skills Development Fund, which will build on the success of round two and has been expanded to include new partners, new training locations, and a new curriculum. The goal of the project is to address two challenges facing Ontario’s auto care industry: a shortage of automotive tradespeople and the need for automotive tradespeople to be upskilled so that they can service modern cars, including electric vehicles (EV).

SLC began the new automotive training in partnership with AIA Canada last fall on its Cornwall campus, delivering Innovation in Automotive Training. The next phase of the project will consist of the development and delivery of two training programs. The first is an EV, hybrid, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Technologies (ADAS) training program. The module-based program will provide employers with free training in modern vehicle technologies that they can offer their workers. It is also open to high-level apprentices, the industry’s future workforce.

The second is an exploration of the automotive trades training program, which is open to job seekers without cost, and breaks the stigma by exposing participants to how technology has changed the type of work that automotive tradespeople do. Upon completion, participants are well-positioned to find an employer sponsor to pursue an apprenticeship.

“We’re thrilled by this announcement today which reaffirms the college’s role in training and skills development for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. “SLC has a long-established reputation and history of being at the forefront and it’s gratifying to be recognized by the government and provided with the funds to offer relevant, timely, and the in-demand training required by the automotive industry.”

For more information about the program, visit ev-training.ca.