PVNC announces major enhancements to Board-wide welding program

person perfomring welding

$650,000 investment for 36 fully-outfitted welding booths; teacher training

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board is excited to announce a $650,000 investment to enhance the welding program at the Board’s six secondary schools located in Peterborough, Cobourg, Lindsay and Clarington.

After more than a year of planning and partnership building, 36 new fully-outfitted welding booths will be installed at our secondary schools between now and the end of August. This endeavor also involves welding teacher training in order to provide teachers with the most current techniques to pass onto students.

“Earlier this year, we hosted a group of industry leaders who described the dire need for qualified welders in the local and provincial job markets,” PVNC Director of Education Michael Nasello said. “That is why this enhanced welding program at PVNC will be an advantage to our students, giving them an early taste for the skilled trades while providing them with valuable skills that are so desperately needed by employers. We look forward to partnering with a variety of industry across our region as we move forward.”

The significantly improved welding program at PVNC will offer students enhanced learning and better prepare them for co-op placements as part of Specialist High Skills Major programs and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programs throughout the region. The facilities will also allow us to partner more deeply with local colleges – Fleming, Durham and Loyalist.

PVNC is especially grateful to the CWB Welding Foundation for funding approximately half of the project as well as McCloskey International for the generous donation of all the welding booth structures required for the upgrade.

“PVNC has proven to demonstrate a great interest and commitment in improving its school welding facilities and upgrading educator welding skills,” said Andrew Bartlett, acting executive director, CWB Welding Foundation. “We are proud to partner with and provide funding to organizations like PVNC as their goals align with those of CWB Welding Foundation- enhance the learning experience of welding students by creating a safer, better equipped shop.”

 

Media Invite:

When: Tuesday, June 26 at 11:15 a.m.

Where: St. Peter Catholic Secondary School (730 Medical Dr.)

What: Official launch of the PVNC enhanced welding program

We invite media to join us as we celebrate the beginning of this next chapter in PVNC skilled trades education. Welding teachers from across the Board will be completing a morning of training. At 11:45 a.m. we will break for some greetings from Director of Education Michael Nasello and industry partners from the CWB Welding Foundation and McCloskey International.

 

Timeline for welding booth installations:

School/Location                                Installation:

St. Peter CSS – Peterborough            June 2018

Holy Cross CSS – Peterborough         May 2018

St. Thomas Aquinas CSS – Lindsay    August 2018

St. Mary CSS – Cobourg                   August 2018

St. Stephen CSS – Bowmanville        June 2018

Holy Trinity CSS – Courtice               August 2018