UCC students looking to get into the trades have some new high-tech equipment at their disposal.
The Pines recently received $80,000 in grants through the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association and Ontario Council for Technology Education.
“We are very pleased and thankful to receive this tremendous grant,” says Lisa Harnarine, Principal of Ursuline College Chatham Catholic Secondary School. “The equipment we purchase will be a great benefit to our students whose career pathways include the skilled trades.”
The funding will purchase new machinery including a CNC router, two vertical drilling machines and a metal lathe. The school will also receive various tools such as calipers, metal rulers, a vise, and drill set.
“Our goal is to expose high school students to technology at an earlier age to engage their interest for a career within our industry,” says Robert Cattle, CTMA executive director. “Not only does this expose students to newer technology at an earlier age, but also gives teachers up-to-date equipment to implement in their classrooms.”
The Career-Ready program also provides experiential work placements for high school co-op students, with a focus in the precision metal cutting sector. Each student is paid an hourly rate while earning cooperative education credits.