In an effort to fill jobs and get graduating students into the workforce, Colleges Ontario and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) are teaming up.
"This exciting new partnership builds on our public colleges' successes preparing graduates for a rapidly evolving economy," said Marketa Evans, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. "It aims to help strengthen the workforce in key sectors across all communities in Ontario, including the workforce in home building, health care and the electric vehicle supply chain."
Public colleges in Ontario collaborate with businesses and other sectors on over 3,000 research and innovation projects each year, ranging from safety equipment for miners and firefighters to the development of 3D printing and prototypes.
"Ontario's municipalities employ community builders from many professions and career paths to support our residents with the services and infrastructure they need," said Colin Best, AMO president and councillor for the Region of Halton.
According to Colleges Ontario, it's estimated that over the next decade, about 35 per cent of new jobs will require a college or apprenticeship education.
This partnership hopes to:
• Address the growing challenge in cities and towns across the province to fill key positions and to retain the existing workforce
• Address the growing shortage of talent across the entire range of skills and occupations required for home construction and health care
• Promote an expansion of the real-world research at colleges that develops new made-in-Ontario products, which helps small and medium-sized businesses create jobs
Colleges Ontario is the member association for the province's 24 public colleges. The AMO brings together Ontario's 444 municipalities to make governing towns and cities more effective and meet common challenges.
The partnership was launched this week during AMO's annual conference in London.
