November 17, 2023 – At a special event on November 1, Conestoga College officially marked the grand opening of its new Skilled Trades campus in Cambridge, Ont.

Suzanne Moyer, dean, Trades & Apprenticeship, thanked those in attendance for supporting the college and its efforts “to address the province’s critical need for skilled trades workers”.

Located at 25 Reuter Drive, the first phase of the campus features a 322,000-sf building with more than 150,000 sf of shops and labs, offering apprenticeship and post-secondary programs in the industrial/manufacturing and construction trades.

When fully realized, the campus will include multiple buildings across the 41-acre property and become home to all of the college’s skilled trades programs.

“We are working to attract a more diverse group of students into the skilled trades with the offering of pre-apprenticeship training, exploratory programming, dual-credit training for high school students, and continuing to offer our women in skilled trades program, as well as working to attract more international students to the skilled trades,” Moyer added.

The campus has been designed to provide an abundance of natural light, and its shops “support the practical nature of the skills taught in them”, says the college. Glazing offers a window into the shops to provide a visual understanding of the training that takes place.

The campus also features several spaces where students can socialize or collaborate on class work. An event space supports gatherings such as job fairs, awards ceremonies, conferences and trade events.

“Thank you again to all of you—our donors, award sponsors, program advisory committee members, mentors, and employment partners—for your support of student and graduate success as we continue to work together to build a more prosperous future for the communities we serve,” said Tony Thoma, executive dean, Engineering, Technology, Trades & Apprenticeship.

The facility will help position Conestoga as Canada’s premier destination for skilled trades education and training, says the college, adding that when completed, the campus “will be the largest, most modern trades training facility in the country, and serve as a showcase for the skilled trades”.

College president John Tibbits thanked those who supported both Phase 1 of the campus and the college’s goal of raising the profile of trades training: The Cowan Foundation, Hunter Steel Sales Limited, ATS Automation, Eclipse Automation (part of Accenture), Magna International, Ray Tanguay, Gene Haas Foundation, Mitutoyo Canada, Dewalt-Stanley Black & Decker, Milwaukee Tool.