St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford celebrated the arrival of a new CNC industrial milling machine and five desktop training units at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, March 26.
The $92,000 donation was made possible through the support of the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA), the Ontario Council for Technology Education (OCTE), and funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD).
CTMA Career Ready Program Manager Dave Lewis said the new equipment is expected to significantly enhance the school’s manufacturing program, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities to develop essential skills for careers in the advanced manufacturing sector.
"This is one of the donations that we've done to almost 137 high schools across Ontario," explained Lewis. "And it really is to try to improve the quality of manufacturing technology education in our schools, so students see that as a really good, viable career opportunity when they're leaving high school and going into apprenticeship, college or university."
Lewis said the industry feels partnerships with high schools are vital to their future.
"They see this as an opportunity to hire students that are engaged, who come in with skills and knowledge into apprenticeship or later, through university or college, where they can hire them, and they've got the experience coming right out of high school," Lewis added. "The opportunities are amazing in the manufacturing industry, and especially in today's world where we're looking at what's happening across the border, it's important that we build our manufacturing industry right here in Ontario, because people want to buy Canadian."
Special guests at the ceremony included the Hon. Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington, Dave Lewis from CTMA, Meredith Forget from Perth County Economic Development, and Mayor Martin Ritsma. They joined students, staff, and school board representatives in celebrating the investment in local education and workforce development.
“This donation provides an incredible opportunity for our students to gain practical experience with state-of-the-art equipment, preparing them for future careers in manufacturing,” said Mark Flanagan, OYAP Board Lead for the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board.
The new milling machine and training units are part of an ongoing effort to bridge the skills gap in the manufacturing industry and inspire the next generation of skilled trades professionals.
"The average age of a machinist tool and die maker in Ontario is over 55 years old," Lewis revealed. "And the opportunities right now for students considering this career opportunity are amazing, and also, the pay is quite good."
Skilled trades in the manufacturing technology industry include millwright, machinist, tool and die maker, mold maker, pattern maker, and welder.