The new trades training centre at the Vernon Okanagan College campus should be complete by spring of 2018.
Image Credit: Okanagan College via Twitter
November 21, 2016 - 2:38 PM
VERNON - Okanagan College's trades training centre just got a substantial funding boost from the provincial and federal governments.
The money is slated to go toward the construction of the new 13,450 square foot trades training centre, according to a B.C. government media.
The new space will feature multipurpose shops, a dedicated welding shop, and multi-use trades space for electrical, carpentry, plumbing and pipefitting, and an Aboriginal Women in trades trailing program, the release says.
"This new space will allow us to offer a wider range of programs for students, as well as increase our capacity to train more individuals who will be job-ready to meet the needs of local employers," Okanagan College president Jim Hamilton says in the release.
The new facility will add space for approximately 150 trades students, improving greatly on the existing off-campus training location's capacity of 108 students.
In order to fund the construction, $2.66 million was pledged from the Government of Canada along with $2.88 million from the Province of B.C. Okanagan College will also contribute $670,000.
The province estimates that construction will be completed by spring 2018.
"As a student, who has been training in a facility off campus, I think it will be hugely beneficial to future students to have the opportunity to take their training in a brand new purpose-built facility on campus. I think they will take even greater pride in where they are and what they are doing," Okanagan College electrical student Harrison Coe says in the release.
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