New offering complements 17 existing apprenticeship programs offered within Fanshawe’s Faculty of Science, Trades and Technology
(London, Ontario)—Fanshawe College has received Minister’s approval to deliver a Welding Apprenticeship program to help meet the critical demand for skilled tradespeople across the province.
The Welding Apprenticeship program, to be delivered by the School of Applied Science and Technology, is expected to launch in September 2023 with an initial intake of 20 students.
“Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, which means when you have a job in the skilled trades, you have a job for life,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “By investing in training like Fanshawe College’s Welding Apprenticeship program, we are helping to attract and prepare a new generation of welders here in southwestern Ontario for better jobs and bigger paycheques.”
Stephen Patterson, dean of the Faculty of Science, Trades and Technology, says the Minister’s approval reinforces Fanshawe’s standing as a leader of apprenticeship training in the Ontario college system.
“Fanshawe is committed to advancing education and apprenticeship in the skilled trades,” said Patterson. “We are proud of the role we play in unlocking the potential of more than 5,000 students studying in nearly 50 programs focused on skilled trades and apprenticeship each year.”
The Welding Apprenticeship program will be based out of the College’s newly renovated 50-station welding lab, one of the largest welding training facilities in Southwestern Ontario, which was unveiled in June 2022 following a $5 million refurbishment funded in part by the Province of Ontario’s Apprenticeship Capital Grant.
Fanshawe offers students the opportunity to pursue apprenticeships within the construction, industrial, service and motive power sectors.