CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall Innovation Centre (CIC) announced on Friday, April 13, 2018 at the Nav Centre that they have received $477,000 in funding to create the Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute.
The Institute will be geared towards skills training, particularly in the business, digital and agri-tech industries.
Kelly Bergeron, Executive Director of the CIC announced the new project to a crowd of people. Bergeron was the one who pursued the funding for the program and said that she was inspired to do so after sitting in on a meeting of the Ottawa Agri-tech supercluster.
“Our relationship with Ottawa has branched out in the past four months,” she said. “Our jaws dropped when we saw the opportunities for agri-tech in this region.”
Terry Besner, Economic Development and Communications Officer for the United Counties of SD&G said that there was real opportunity for growth in the agri-tech industry in the region.
“We need to encourage growth of our agri-tech industry and to stay on top of that growth,” she said, citing the changing landscape and new opportunities that innovation was providing the agricultural industry.
Michael MacGillivray, Interim Executive Director of the Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) said that advances in agri-tech include modular farming, hydroponics, identifying and maintaining plant nutritional needs and promoting moderated use of water in farming.
Bob Peters, Economic Development Officer for the City of Cornwall, spoke on behalf of the Mayor and the City and said that this institute will provide much needed skilled labour for Cornwall’s workforce.
“If you talk to any employer in Cornwall, they will all say the single factor to their success is people,” he said. “It started with Kelly Bergeron and her vision to apply for this.”
The money was awarded to the CIC through the Skills Catalyst Fund, which was established by the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Training and Skills Development.
The program will begin enrollment in September 2018. There will be 160 spots available for students. Each student will be put through a two-month bootcamp followed by a three-month job placement in the field of their choice.
For 20 of those 160 students, there will be a scholarship available if they live outside of the community or are in financial need so that they can attend the program at the Nav Centre.
The program itself is free to all students, and the scholarships will go to cover expenses like travel or accommodations.
