Algonquin College Hosts Pre-Apprenticeship Fund Announcement

Posted on Wednesday, May 24th, 2017

On Wednesday morning, Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism hosted the formal announcement of the Pre-Apprenticeship Fund by the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure and MPP Ottawa West-Nepean, and Marie-France Lalonde, Ontario’s Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and MPP Ottawa-Orléans.

Announced in front of a full house in the Philip Killeen Hospitality Foyer, the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program supports the Government of Ontario’s focus on increasing the number of new entrants to apprenticeship programs while addressing skilled trade shortages.

Minister Chiarelli (who also took a moment to cheer on the Ottawa Senators!) termed the gathering “a partnership event.” For 2016-17, Ontario is investing more than $14 million in 67 local programs that provide free training, while covering costs for textbooks, safety equipment and tools.

Minister Lalonde highlighted the positive impact of the fund, noting the allocation of $1.6 million for pre-apprenticeship programs for seven institutions and colleges in Ottawa. Algonquin College will receive $245,767 for the Indigenous Cook Pre-Apprenticeship Program.

Algonquin College President Cheryl Jensen thanked the Ottawa caucus, adding that “programs such as the Indigenous Cook Pre-Apprenticeship program would not be possible without support from the community.” Cheryl emphasized that Algonquin College “is a home for Indigenous learners” and offered words of encouragement to the students present.

“Ever since its launch last year, the Indigenous Cook Pre-Apprenticeship Program has been a source of tremendous pride for the College,” she said. “The successes that have come from this program show the power of experiential learning, and I am thrilled we are able to offer Indigenous learners this skill-upgrading opportunity, while also providing a way to celebrate and incorporate Indigenous spirituality and culture. At Algonquin College, we show our Inuit, Métis and First Nations students that they are not only welcomed in our school, but also that their dreams and goals will be supported, and that their talents will be nurtured and developed.”

Indigenous Cook-Pre-Apprenticeship Chef Azure Smith-Spencer spoke of the importance of Indigenous-focused training, adding that programs like the one at Algonquin can break down barriers that prevent learning, particularly for Indigenous youth.

Also present at the event were Yasir Naqvi, MPP Ottawa Centre, and Lise Bourgeois, president of La Cité collégiale.

Pre-apprenticeship projects focus on youth, the unemployed, women, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, youth at risk, including youth in conflict with the law, persons with disabilities or other groups traditionally under-represented in apprenticeship programs.

There are programs for youth or adults who graduated from high school; left before finishing high school; are unemployed or underemployed or are Indigenous; newcomers to Canada, and women, Francophone or youth-at-risk.


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