A new three-year grant from the Liberal government will mean more at-risk Hamilton youth will be able to learn a new skill and eventually get a job, say Mohawk College officials.
Hamilton Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin announced April 19 at city hall, just prior to Mayor Fred Eisenberger’s blue ribbon task force on workforce development’s meeting, the government is providing Mohawk College’s City School program with a $600,000 grant over three years.
“This is one measure that will help the at-risk youth of our community have an opportunity to get a skill that they can employ in Hamilton,” said Eisenberger.
Jim Vanderveken, Mohawk College’s interdisciplinary studies dean, said the funding will be used starting this year until 2021.
It will mean, he said, boosting the enrolment from the current 240 students to about 360.
“We are crafting programs that are going to be very, very responsive to particular needs of that particular sector,” said Vanderveken. “We are listening to the neighbourhood comments about what they want and we respond.”
The funding will also allow Mohawk College to expand its partnerships with businesses from the current five to 13, which are in need of a special job skill set.
They include the Hamilton Port Authority, which has relationships with about 120 companies the program can draw upon, Hamilton Health Sciences, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and a number of other smaller companies, said Vanderveken.
Vanderveken said the preparatory courses are free, and there are no prerequisites for students to have before enrolling.
“It is really a passion for taking the next step in the education journey,” said Vanderveken.
Eisenberger said there are jobs in Hamilton that employers are desperate to fill, but they can’t find the properly skilled person. Some of those major skills that are lacking include machinist and maintenance people.
“These are great jobs, a lot better than retail,” he said. “People have a great life off of these skills.”
President Ron McKerlie said Mohawk College has three City School programs — the first of its kind in Ontario — operating out of the Eva Rothwell Centre in north Hamilton, the Hamilton Central Library and through a mobile classroom. The province provided the college with $1.6 million in August 2016 to allow City School to create a custom-built mobile classroom to reach into neighbourhoods throughout the downtown.
“This will allow Mohawk College’s City School initiative to serve more people and to put a Mohawk education within reach of more people of Hamilton,” said McKerlie.
A new three-year grant from the Liberal government will mean more at-risk Hamilton youth will be able to learn a new skill and eventually get a job, say Mohawk College officials.
Hamilton Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin announced April 19 at city hall, just prior to Mayor Fred Eisenberger’s blue ribbon task force on workforce development’s meeting, the government is providing Mohawk College’s City School program with a $600,000 grant over three years.
“This is one measure that will help the at-risk youth of our community have an opportunity to get a skill that they can employ in Hamilton,” said Eisenberger.
Jim Vanderveken, Mohawk College’s interdisciplinary studies dean, said the funding will be used starting this year until 2021.
It will mean, he said, boosting the enrolment from the current 240 students to about 360.
“We are crafting programs that are going to be very, very responsive to particular needs of that particular sector,” said Vanderveken. “We are listening to the neighbourhood comments about what they want and we respond.”
The funding will also allow Mohawk College to expand its partnerships with businesses from the current five to 13, which are in need of a special job skill set.
They include the Hamilton Port Authority, which has relationships with about 120 companies the program can draw upon, Hamilton Health Sciences, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and a number of other smaller companies, said Vanderveken.
Vanderveken said the preparatory courses are free, and there are no prerequisites for students to have before enrolling.
“It is really a passion for taking the next step in the education journey,” said Vanderveken.
Eisenberger said there are jobs in Hamilton that employers are desperate to fill, but they can’t find the properly skilled person. Some of those major skills that are lacking include machinist and maintenance people.
“These are great jobs, a lot better than retail,” he said. “People have a great life off of these skills.”
President Ron McKerlie said Mohawk College has three City School programs — the first of its kind in Ontario — operating out of the Eva Rothwell Centre in north Hamilton, the Hamilton Central Library and through a mobile classroom. The province provided the college with $1.6 million in August 2016 to allow City School to create a custom-built mobile classroom to reach into neighbourhoods throughout the downtown.
“This will allow Mohawk College’s City School initiative to serve more people and to put a Mohawk education within reach of more people of Hamilton,” said McKerlie.
A new three-year grant from the Liberal government will mean more at-risk Hamilton youth will be able to learn a new skill and eventually get a job, say Mohawk College officials.
Hamilton Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin announced April 19 at city hall, just prior to Mayor Fred Eisenberger’s blue ribbon task force on workforce development’s meeting, the government is providing Mohawk College’s City School program with a $600,000 grant over three years.
“This is one measure that will help the at-risk youth of our community have an opportunity to get a skill that they can employ in Hamilton,” said Eisenberger.
Jim Vanderveken, Mohawk College’s interdisciplinary studies dean, said the funding will be used starting this year until 2021.
It will mean, he said, boosting the enrolment from the current 240 students to about 360.
“We are crafting programs that are going to be very, very responsive to particular needs of that particular sector,” said Vanderveken. “We are listening to the neighbourhood comments about what they want and we respond.”
The funding will also allow Mohawk College to expand its partnerships with businesses from the current five to 13, which are in need of a special job skill set.
They include the Hamilton Port Authority, which has relationships with about 120 companies the program can draw upon, Hamilton Health Sciences, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and a number of other smaller companies, said Vanderveken.
Vanderveken said the preparatory courses are free, and there are no prerequisites for students to have before enrolling.
“It is really a passion for taking the next step in the education journey,” said Vanderveken.
Eisenberger said there are jobs in Hamilton that employers are desperate to fill, but they can’t find the properly skilled person. Some of those major skills that are lacking include machinist and maintenance people.
“These are great jobs, a lot better than retail,” he said. “People have a great life off of these skills.”
President Ron McKerlie said Mohawk College has three City School programs — the first of its kind in Ontario — operating out of the Eva Rothwell Centre in north Hamilton, the Hamilton Central Library and through a mobile classroom. The province provided the college with $1.6 million in August 2016 to allow City School to create a custom-built mobile classroom to reach into neighbourhoods throughout the downtown.
“This will allow Mohawk College’s City School initiative to serve more people and to put a Mohawk education within reach of more people of Hamilton,” said McKerlie.