THUNDER BAY – Confederation College and Resolute Forest Products today announced the renewal and expansion of their longstanding partnership, building on an existing Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016. Resolute has also committed to contributing $150,000 to the College’s Technology, Education and Collaboration (TEC) Campaign. The growing partnership and contribution will create new and meaningful opportunities for students, particularly those studying in engineering technology programs.
“We appreciate Resolute’s continued vision for supporting our students through meaningful education and employment opportunities within the technology and natural resources sectors,” said Kathleen Lynch, President, Confederation College. “A skilled workforce is a vital component to economic growth and this partnership, along with Resolute’s investment in equipment, will help our students receive the hands-on training needed for them to successfully meet the diverse labour demands of these industries.”
The organizations will build on the existing relationship, clearly defining strategies to improve training and educational programming options for students, while preparing graduates to fill a variety of job openings at Resolute.
“Resolute is pleased to renew and expand its longstanding collaboration with Confederation College and to support the state-of-the-art training centre in Thunder Bay, which provides high-quality training and employment opportunities for youth in the region,” stated Yves Laflamme, President and Chief Executive Office of Resolute.
Pillars of the partnership between Confederation College and Resolute include:
- Working to identify and meet the future workforce needs of Resolute, and to develop training to meet those needs;
- Supporting the implementation of hands-on forest operations training, including truck driver and harvest equipment operator;
- Delivering technical skills upgrading and specialization courses on topics including fluid dynamics and pneumatics, maintenance leadership, and automation and process control;
- Working with Indigenous communities to strengthen and promote the skills of their workforce as they relate to the forest industry; and
- Offering pre-employment training that prepares students for a successful transition to an industrial work setting.
Resolute is providing $30,000 annually across a five-year term toward the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for students in programs supported by the College’s TEC Hub. The TEC Hub and Campaign will contribute to the development of a skilled, employment-ready technology and trades workforce for northwestern Ontario.
Thanks to additional funding from FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, Resolute’s contribution will be further leveraged through matching dollars. A room in the College’s TEC Hub has been named in recognition of the company’s support: Resolute Forest Products Multipurpose Skills Workshop.
