Magna invests $100K to help expand Skills Ontario competition

Feb. 24, 2017 – Skills Ontario will receive a $100,000 investment from Magna International in support of the 2017 Skills Ontario Competition, Skills Ontario Young Women’s Initiatives, and Skills Ontario Summer Camps.

The investment will help accommodate the growing number of students who want to participate in the various skill development programs that Skills Ontario offers, it says.

The Skills Ontario Competition, held on May 1-3, 2017, will now be hosted at the Toronto Congress Centre, instead of its regular location in Waterloo. The organization says the new venue will better accommodate more competitors and visitors from across the province, adding that the central location in the General Toronto Area (GTA) will make travel easier for those who come in from out of town.

Skills Ontario says the Skills Ontario Competition has seen a 30-per-cent growth rate in the number of students registering to compete from last year’s event, adding that more than 3,400 students have requested competition spaces for the May 2017 competition. In addition, the annual Young Women’s Conferences has sold out again this year within minutes of registration opening.

“Skills Ontario and our partners are committed to building Ontario’s skilled trades and technologies workforce,” said Gail Smyth, executive director of Skills Ontario. “The investment we receive from Magna International sends a strong message to our stakeholders and the corporate community that they believe creating a skilled, knowledgeable, and diverse workforce in the skilled trades and technologies is imperative to the economic viability of Ontario.”

“Partnering with Skills Ontario underscores our commitment to world-class manufacturing and keeping Ontario competitive in the global marketplace,” added Marc Neeb, Magna chief human resources officer.

SOURCE Skills Ontario