Sheridan, Hatch sign MoU for education

Sept. 28, 2015 – Sheridan College and Hatch have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that they say will promote further collaboration between the two organizations, aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for Sheridan students, while also fostering innovation and economic growth.

The MoU builds and expands on a Master Collaborative Research and Contribution Agreement entered into by the two parties earlier this year, which will see the company contribute $300,000 in funds and in-kind support over the next three years. The agreement was confirmed in June, after Sheridan faculty in the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT) had already completed several custom machine design projects with Hatch.

“Hatch welcomes this opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with Sheridan and enhance the learning experience for students pursuing technical and engineering careers while helping solve real world problems,” said Bruce MacKay, managing director at Hatch. “We are impressed that Sheridan replicates what we have at Hatch — a multi-disciplinary environment that leads to amazing results.”

Under the terms of the MoU, Hatch may participate and lend its expertise in the form of guest lectures, technical workshops and provide recommendations on curriculum development. Further opportunities will be explored for Sheridan students in the form of internships, apprenticeships and/or co-op placements at Hatch, both locally and internationally, said Hatch representatives. As well, both Hatch and Sheridan say they will work together to raise community awareness of the value of technical and engineering careers in addressing current challenges and building sustainable economies and cities.

“By forging industry partnerships with companies like Hatch, we are able to provide our students with real-world learning experiences,” said Dr. Jeff Zabudsky, Sheridan’s president and CEO. “That experience in turn makes them more valuable to employers once they graduate — it’s a virtuous cycle.”