Sudbury Northern Life
Less than a year after its signing, the agreement between Collège Boréal and 5th Wheel Training Institute is proving to be very successful, and is already a prime example of a public-private partnership, according to a press release.
Last April, after having previously collaborated on a number of timely projects, Collège Boréal and 5th Wheel Training Institute reached an exclusive agreement with the two institutions jointly offering continuing education programs in transportation and heavy equipment.
Since its inception, the partnership has had more than 20 students registered in Grader Operator, Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver (AZ) and Heavy Equipment Operator training. Shortly after their programs, the maximum duration being six weeks, most of the respondents were employed upon entry into the workforce.
The vice-president of Les Entreprises Boréal, Daniel Giroux, describes the immediate benefits of such an agreement with 5th Wheel Training Institute: “Despite the current economic downturn, particularly in the manufacturing sector, knowing that the door is still open to opportunities in an area where there is still a demand, provides hope for workers in Ontario."
These new programs are eligible for funding under the Second Career initiative and the Skills Development strategy, offered respectively by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and Human Resources and Social Development Canada.
Éric Gosselin from Kapuskasing has benefited from the Skills Development strategy and taken two of these programs: “I was severely hit by the forest industry crisis, I had to sell my machinery and I lost my job. I was able to get a new field of expertise that is in demand in my region. Once I was trained, two of the biggest companies in Kapuskasing made me offers and I’m now working without having to move my family out of the north.”
Besides its training centres in North Bay-Timmins and London-Sarnia, 5th Wheel Training Institute is also offering programs at the Collège Boréal’s Sudbury campus and soon in Cochrane (March 2009).
