Belleville, Ontario, February 24, 2016 – On Thursday, February 18, Loyalist College and community partners celebrated 10 graduating students from the most recent cohort of the “Elevate” program.
The program is an innovative workforce development program created by Loyalist’s Training and Knowledge Centre (LTKC), and delivered with support from a number of key community partners, including Hastings County, the Municipality of Quinte West, Ontario Provincial Police Quinte West Detachment, and the Quinte Economic Development Commission. The fifth cohort of the six-week program, first delivered in the Fall of 2014, began in January at the Quinte West Ontario Provincial Police’s Cox Building. The 10-day placements with local manufacturing partners Vantage Foods in Belleville and Canadian Blast Freezers in Quinte West have resulted in employment.
Elevate Training graduates and community partners.
“Today we are celebrating the success of 10 students who are joining the previous 46 Elevate graduates,” said Loyalist College President and CEO Maureen Piercy. “To date, close to 100 percent of graduates from this program have gained employment as a result of completing this training. ‘We put you to work’ is Loyalist’s brand, and no program at the College is a better example than this one!”
President Piercy and June Hagerman, Chair of the Loyalist College Board of Governors, congratulated graduating students, who received their certificates in the presence of special guests, including City of Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, and Matt Richardson from the office of MP Neil Ellis.
L-R: Neil Dick, Corporate Trainer, Loyalist Training and Knowledge Centre;
Chuck O’Malley, Corporate Training Consultant, Loyalist Training and Knowledge Centre;
Loyalist College President & CEO Maureen Piercy; and June Hagerman, Chair, Loyalist Board of Governors.
Elevate was originally funded by Essential Skills Ontario as a research project, and was developed by the LTKC team led by LTKC Consultant Chuck O’Malley. It has earned very positive evaluations, and subsequent sessions have had funding partners including Ontario RED (Rural Economic Development) program, the Quinte Economic Development Commission, Hastings County Social Services and Trenval (Eastern Ontario Development Program). It receives supports from Hastings County Ontario Works, City of Quinte West, Quinte West Ontario Provincial Police and the region’s employment agencies. Designed to support individuals who are unemployed and want to find employment within the local manufacturing sector, the program combines literacy and essential skills with job-specific training for the food processing industry. It has been facilitated by Neil Dick, who has extensive experience in the field. As a result of partner support, the College is able to offer the program at no cost to students.
“The Elevate training program is perfectly aligned with Loyalist’s mission and strategic focus on providing access to excellent training and applied education,” said President Piercy. “It is a gem of an example of the power of community collaboration in creating opportunities for economic and social development. Thank you to our community, and to industry partners Vantage Foods and Canadian Blast Freezers, for their support. Loyalist will continue to advocate for ongoing, sustainable funding for this excellent model.”
City of Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, left, joins Elevate Training graduates and Elevate trainers for a group photograph.
About Loyalist Training and Knowledge Centre
Loyalist Training and Knowledge Centre (LTKC), a Corporate Training Division of Loyalist College, offers practical, hands-on workplace learning and performance solutions that enable organizations to meet their specific business goals and objectives. They have hundreds of courses available online at loyalisttraining.com or they can work with organizations to customize programs to suit their requirements. Programs can be delivered on site at a facility or within classrooms at Loyalist College. LTKC also offers employment testing, coaching and consulting services. For further information, call 613-969-1913 ext. 2294 or email ltkc@loyalistc.on.ca.
About Loyalist College
When it comes to grads getting jobs, Loyalist College is the #1 College in Ontario. According to Provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released April 2015, 89.3 percent of the College’s most recent graduates found employment within six months of graduation compared to the provincial average of 84 percent. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior student services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and the LEED® Silver certified Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. The College is a key driver of the social and economic health and prosperity of the area and contributes 5.4 percent to the Gross Regional Product. This represents an overall effect on the regional economy of $530 million – based on a 2014 Report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses, visit loyalistcollege.com.
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Kerry Lorimer, Director, Marketing and Communications,
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, 613-969-1913 ext. 2536