Magna invests in Skills Ontario

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

The investment from Magna will help Skills Ontario accommodate the growing number of students who want to participate in the various skill development programs offered by the organization.

In other news, the Skills Ontario Competition, held on May 1-3, 2017, will now be hosted at the Toronto Congress Centre. The competition’s new venue will accommodate more competitors and visitors from across the province.

The competition has seen a 30 per cent growth rate in the number of students registering to compete, compared to last year’s event. To date, more than 3,400 students have competition spaces for the May 2017 competition. In addition, the annual Young Women’s Conferences sold out again this year within minutes of registration opening. Over two days more than 1,400 young women will attend the conferences, aimed at encouraging young women to consider a career in the skilled trades and technologies.

“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,” said Marc Neeb, chief human resources officer at Magna.