Conestoga College opens new campus for skilled trades programs

Conestoga College has unveiled their new Skilled Trades campus in Cambridge.

The new 325,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility is located at Reuter Drive in Cambridge, between Highways 8 and 24. There are currently 3,000 trade students enrolled in the new campus.

John Tibbitts, the president of Conestoga College, said the goal of the new facility is to bring more people into the skilled trades, especially young people and women.

“There’s a huge skill shortage at this point in time and it’s going to grow,” said Tibbitts. “This is probably the most modern, comprehensive trades facility in Ontario, and it’s only going to get bigger and better.

The facility is the first phase of four in a project to transfer all of the trade programs the college offers to one campus. Currently, 70 per cent of the programs are on one campus.

The next phase of the project is expected to start in April with the development of a new 155,000 square foot facility. Tibbitts said he expects all four phases of the project to be completed in the next decade.