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Ontario Tech preparing the next generation of green-collar workers with its new program

The RBC Foundation has donated $750,000 to Ontario Tech to produce students with the green skills needed to work towards Canada’s transition to a net-zero future by 2050.

Dr. Hossam Kishawy, dean of Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech, says this grant will be crucial for the success of the university’s student enrichment program.

Kishawy says the grant will help “build a pipeline of qualified engineers.”

The program sees students work directly with partners, such as Aecon Group Inc., AtkinsRéalis, Candian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Westinghouse and Elexicon Energy, throughout their degree.

Student enrichment program manager, J.J. Kemlo, says RBC’s grant will help Ontario Tech provide resources such as a job shadowing platform and mentorship opportunities.

It will also support field trips, guest speakers, speed networking events, job fairs, energy tech talks, and more.

“So, basically, from speaking with industry partners over a period of time, we really learned that there’s a need for partners to build brand profile, create awareness of the energy sector, and also support students in being career ready,” she says.

One of the industry partners for this program includes Aecon Group Inc. Taken at the program launch event on Jan. 30, at the north Oshawa Campus.
One of the industry partners for this program includes Aecon Group Inc. Taken at the program launch event on Jan. 30, at the north Oshawa Campus. Photo credit: Ontario Tech University

Kemlo says Ontario Tech is considered a market-responsive university.

Jordan Zenhenko graduated from Ontario Tech in mechanical engineering in 2020 and began working at the Ontario Power Generation in 2021.

Zenhenko now works as a project manager at the Darlington Nuclear Project, and says there are currently many ongoing projects in the field that will require equipped engineers.

“Right now it’s not a question of whether the jobs will be available, it’s a question of whether the industry can fill them,” he says. “And so, I think it’s a great initiative by the school and the companies that are funding it, to try to get more students involved in the industry at an earlier age and interested in the nuclear sector.”

Zanhenko says the Darlington Nuclear Project is currently planning to build the first new nuclear reactor since the 1980s in Ontario, and that a new generation of workers is crucial.

“We don’t have the industry experience in building new nuclear power plants. Like I said, we haven’t built one since the 80s in Ontario,” he says. “So we really need to have new generations of workers, even people that are out of school for many years, to be ready to face the challenges of building new nuclear and preparing people in university with specific courses relating to it.”

Currently there are more than 265 students enrolled in the student enrichment program, and all students enroled in an undergraduate or graduate engineering program are eligible to apply.