George Brown Applauds Extension of Knowledge Infrastructure Program

TORONTO, Dec. 7 /CNW/ - Last week's announcement of the seven month extension of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program by the Prime Minister of Canada and Ministers Strahl and Clement is positive news for George Brown College. The program, part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, was launched by the federal government in 2009 and through the government's $30 million contribution, has helped make the college's waterfront campus expansion a reality for George Brown College and the City of Toronto.

"Through its financial commitment, the federal government, in partnership with the provincial government, is helping George Brown College meet the increasing and evolving needs of students and employers," said Anne Sado, President of George Brown College. "And the development of the waterfront campus will help address the looming labour shortage, including approximately 1,300 high-demand health sciences graduates per year."

The construction team has been at work for the last 13 months, and the college and its partners will continue to expedite progress on this exciting project as it prepares for the approximately 3,500 students that will be enrolled in the Centre for Health Sciences. The development of the campus can be monitored via webcam on the college's website at www.georgebrown.ca/waterfront.

In addition to the many student benefits, the waterfront campus will also offer a range of community health-care services and assessments for local residents including a dental clinic, hearing tests and fitness assessments. During the construction phase, the waterfront campus development will produce approximately 1,750 jobs, with the post-construction phase supporting 600 permanent jobs.

About George Brown College

Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice, with nine out of 10 graduates getting jobs within six months of graduation. From its two main campuses located across the downtown core, George Brown offers nearly 160 programs across a wide variety of professions. Students can earn diplomas, post-graduate certificates, industry accreditations, apprenticeships and four-year bachelor degrees. More than 22,000 students attend the college (full-time equivalent) with about 68,000 registered with the George Brown College School of Continuing Education. For more information, please visit www.georgebrown.ca.

For further information:

Robyn Breslow
APEX Public Relations
416-924-4442 x 256
[email protected]