Students, recent graduates and apprentices complete paid work placements in the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Providing students with real-world experience is one of George Brown College's biggest priorities and we are part of a new partnership that will create even more opportunities. Funded by the Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development (MLTSD), the Drive Ability Opening Doors program provides students, recent graduates, and apprentices from various academic disciplines with paid work placements in the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors. We partnered with six other post-secondary institutions (Conestoga College, Fanshawe College, Georgian College, Mohawk College, Sheridan College, and York University) to deliver up to 600 placements across the province. Through our collaboration with these Ontario institutions, we are engaged in sharing work-integrated learning best practices and finding ways to better align education with the automotive sector.
What makes the program exciting is connecting not only students from CNC Machining and Engineering programs with employers, but our Business, Graphic Design and Computer Programming students as well. There are a wide range of programs that will benefit from the fund. In addition, students will be able to count their Drive Ability work experience toward their program placement requirements. This program benefits employers too, giving them access to new talent and wage incentives. Employers can acquire the employees they need to respond to a dynamic and rapidly evolving economy. The Drive Ability Opening Doors program and the automotive sector are full of possibilities for all our students. We are constantly linking employers to students and recent graduates, forging new partnerships, and re-connecting with old ones. This version of the program ran through the end of March 2021.