Hydro One announces pre-apprentice program with Confederation College

Confederation College joins Hydro One's College Consortium

THUNDER BAY, ON, Jan. 22, 2014 /CNW/ - Today, Hydro One announced funding for new outreach and pre-apprentice programs with Confederation College that will be designed to provide training to students interested in applying to a trade in the electrical utility sector. The $750,000 investment will focus on youth and First Nations and Métis communities, and in conjunction with Northern College, the program will help build local trades capacity across Northern Ontario.   

"With proposed future development in Northern Ontario, Hydro One along with Confederation College saw the opportunity to help develop a relevant training program to ensure that the skills required in the future are available locally", says Carmine Marcello, President and CEO of Hydro One. "Hydro One is committed to investing in the education and training of our future workforce."

"This is an incredible partnership opportunity for Confederation College and Hydro One," said Jim Madder, Confederation College President. "Hydro One will be able to hire the skilled trades they need in the coming years – and hire them locally from communities throughout the region. Our technology students will know that when they graduate, there will be jobs available. It's a win-win for all involved."

"This exciting new program will give all Northern Ontario youth, including First Nations and Métis young people, access to the specific skills and training they will need to launch successful careers in the ever expanding energy sector," said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

"Our government will be making significant investments in transmission infrastructure in Northwestern Ontario in the very near future.  This investment will require a large workforce of skilled men and women to get the work done.  I am encouraged by the collaboration between Confederation College and Hydro One in advance of the demand for skills to match this investment in Northwestern Ontario by our government," said Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay-Atikokan.

In 2007, the Hydro One College Consortium was created in partnership with Algonquin, Georgian, Mohawk and Northern Colleges. The funding provided for this program supports scholarships, curriculum development, co-op placements and equipment to educate the next generation of energy professionals.  With up to 36 per cent of Hydro One's workforce eligible to retire in the next five years, promoting careers in the utility sector is a timely initiative.

This partnership complements Hydro One's College Consortium by extending the geographic coverage across Northern Ontario. Hydro One, Confederation College and Northern College will work together on outreach and skills training.

Enrolment and graduation rates from electrical engineering technician and technology programs have doubled at Algonquin, Georgian, Mohawk and Northern since the partnership began and Hydro One has hired over 250 students for work placements for its four main technology streams.

In 2008 Hydro One was awarded the Ontario Colleges Community/Corporate Partnership Award in recognition of its contribution to the advancement of Ontario's college system.

Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario's 29,000 km high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 121,000 km low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

SOURCE: Hydro One Inc.

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