Mcmaster, Mohawk and Sheridan Feeding Burlington’s Workforce

Perspective Burlington Globe and Mail worforce
Mohawk now trains in the augmented and virtual reality sector.The BEDC will host Burlington Day on Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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the future of your business may be fuelled by these post-secondary institution graduates

Burlington offers access to a deep and educated workforce and Canada’s most well-respected post-secondary institutions to employers of all sizes.

There is a talent pool of approximately 2 million people within a 45-minute commute of Burlington and 67 per cent of city residents have post-secondary qualifications, which is well above the provincial average.

The Burlington Economic Development Corporation has education partners in both Mohawk College and McMaster University.

Mohawk was named Canada’s most research-intensive college in 2018 and is one of the largest apprenticeship training agents in the province.

The College counts more than 1,000 partners from industry and the public and non-profit sectors who help Mohawk transform 30,000 students
and apprentices into future-ready graduates each year. Mohawk focuses on offering valuable experiential learning opportunities to students through co- ops, internships, placements and applied research and capstone projects that, in turn, help industry partners bring innovation to market.

“Mohawk College faculty and students have deep relationships with businesses in all sectors and industries. Working with our college gives industry partners access to our state-of-the-art labs, eager and talented students, and the deep expertise of our faculty. We work with our partners to introduce new technologies and commercialize new products as we educate the workforce needed for a rapidly changing world.“ says Ron McKerlie, President Mohawk College.

Mohawk is home to three centres of excellence in digital health, additive manufacturing and energy and power. The college is also recognized
for its expertise and innovation in healthcare simulation, augmented and virtual reality, aviation, robotics and automation, industrial internet of things, sustainability, and cyber security.

The College has made a historic investment in its classrooms and labs, including Canada’s first net-zero energy institutional building in the Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation. It serves as a learning lab for sustainability both for industry and next-generation talent.

Mohawk and the BEDC will host Burlington Day on Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s an exclusive event for Halton businesses, including tours of Mohawk’s facilities and an opportunity to meet with researchers, staff and students working on a broad range of applied research projects.

Burlington is home to McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business Ron Joyce Centre.

Burlington is also home to McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business Ron Joyce Centre. The facility is a hub of academic and economic collaboration and hosts DeGroote’s MBA and executive education programs.

McMaster is one of only four Canadian universities ranked in the Top 100 in the world and was named Canada’s most research-intensive university in 2018.

Two years ago Sheridan made a big investment in opening the doors on a state-of-the-art building housing the skilled trades programs and its shops and labs.Anna Strachan is a skilled trades professor and program coordinator at Sheridan

Sheridan College counts more than 1,400 businesses in Burlington that have hired Sheridan students.Among them are 10 companies that have hired 20 skilled trades students each year.

“Sheridan is well-positioned to meet the skilled labour talent needs
of the business communities west of Toronto,” said Daniel Liao, associate dean of the School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship.


“Two years ago, we made a big investment in opening the doors on a state-of-the-art building housing the skilled trades programs and its shops and labs. It has helped us attract not just more students and apprentices from the surrounding regions, but ones who are more passionate and motivated to learn their chosen, in-demand trade.”

Sheridan is also home to the cutting- edge research of the Centre for Mobile Innovation, where faculty, students and industry partners come together to use internet of things, wearable computing, augmented and virtual reality and machine learning to tackle some of healthcare’s greatest challenges.


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