Magna makes its mark at Brampton’s Sheridan College campus

A building at the Brampton Campus of Sheridan College has a new name as a result of a large financial donation.

The new building will be called the Magna Skilled Trades Centre after receiving a gift of $2 million from Magna, the country’s largest auto parts manufacturer.

The donation will allow Sheridan to update labs with state-of-the-art equipment, give student scholarships, have training resources as well as providing other educational opportunities for students who are enrolled in skilled trade programs.

Formerly named the Skilled Trades Centre, the newly-named 130,000 sq-ft facility is the hub for bringing students and expert faculty together at the campus.

“I want to thank Magna for this incredibly generous gift. It’s a direct investment in the labour force of tomorrow that will benefit our local economy by supporting the manufacturing sector,” said Dr. Janet Morrison, Sheridan’s President and Vice Chancellor. “Our Skilled Trades programs embody the best of Sheridan, bringing students together with industry for applied, hands-on learning guided by the best instructors. One of Canada’s leading manufacturing companies, Magna has a longstanding reputation for innovation, entrepreneurship and a commitment to excellence. Sheridan is honoured to have Magna’s name associated with ours.”

The college believes Magna’s donation will help to further fill the gap that exists in Ontario for skilled trades workers by continuing the pipeline of students who will eventually join the workforce in the industrial and construction sector in areas such as plumbing, welding and electrical engineering, to name a few.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to support Sheridan and address an important issue not only for businesses and industry, but also for the communities where we live and work,” says Magna Chief Human Resources Officer Aaron McCarthy. “Working together, we can provide students with opportunities to learn the skills needed, bring out the best in themselves, and help strengthen our society overall.”

Magna’s focus on using technology to advance manufacturing is important, according to a statement released by Sheridan, because applied research is a fundamental part of the learning experience and allows faculty members to work directly with industry to find technical solutions to real world problems.