TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2020 /CNW/ – Humber College will receive $3 million over five years from Magna International to advance the College’s training and leadership in the areas of mechatronics, traditional and digital skilled trades and workforce skills development.
This investment in Humber students will foster the development of the next generation of leaders in Canada’s skilled trades and technology industries and builds on more than 20 years of collaboration between Magna and the College. The contribution will provide 22 new annual scholarships for students as well as support equipment needs and special initiatives of the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI), including skills competitions, applied research projects, apprenticeship training, continuing education, and traditional and digital skills training programs.
Magna’s donation will address solutions for the current skills gap by providing students with unique learning experiences while training them to use leading technology and systems currently used in industry. This will give them the in-demand skills needed to succeed, as employers expand Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 technologies.
“Magna has chosen to invest in our shared vision for addressing the skills gap and providing the experiential learning needed to succeed in the skills economy and Industry 4.0,” said Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College. “We are immensely grateful for Magna’s generosity and we look forward to working together to provide students with new learning and employment opportunities and continuing to strengthen our polytechnic model of education.”
Magna employees will also benefit from new upskilling opportunities created through this investment.
“The way we can stay ahead in a competitive and constantly changing world is to plan and invest in the future,” said Aaron McCarthy, chief human resources officer, Magna. “At Magna we’re committed to providing students and working people with opportunities to further their education, gain new skills, and bring out the best in themselves. This is a core part of the Magna culture and we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue our partnership with Humber College.”
Magna’s gift is one of the largest donations to Unlimited, Humber’s first-ever fundraising campaign. Humber has the bold ambition to ignite discovery and innovation, accelerate student potential and transform the learning experience. With this gift, Humber has raised over to $39 million towards this $50 million campaign. More information on Unlimited is available here.
