(Belleville, March 14, 2012) The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) today announced the creation of a $40,000 endowment to fund an annual financial bursary to support Loyalist College Engineering Technology students. The endowment is made possible through a generous donation from OACETT’s Carole and George Fletcher Foundation, along with matching gifts from the Northumberland Road Builders Association (NRBA) and the Ontario Trust for Student Support (OTSS) program. The Loyalist College endowment is part of a broader capital campaign to celebrate 25 years of OACETT’s bursary program by endowing 25 funds at 25 colleges across Ontario.
“To take advantage of the growing number of exciting job opportunities, engineering technicians and technologists require increasingly complex skills,” said Loyalist President Maureen Piercy. “Loyalist is proud to provide top-quality applied education in a number of engineering disciplines through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on learning experiences. With the generous support of OACETT, the Northumberland Road Builders Association, and the Ontario Trust for Student Support program, we will be able to help provide students with a post-secondary foundation for building a successful career. Financial support and industry encouragement are so important to helping our students persist to achieve their personal goals.”
“This is a great opportunity to build on the long relationship OACETT has with Loyalist College,” remarked Richard Stamper, OACETT’s Business Development Manager. “It allows us to strengthen our connection both to the college and directly to the students studying engineering and applied science technology.”
“NRBA is thrilled about this opportunity to collaborate with OACETT and the OTSS to assist the engineering and applied science technology students at Loyalist College,” added John Cane, President of the Northumberland Road Builders Association. “Our members are excited to support students in the Northumberland area recognizing they will be part of our industry’s future.”
The OACETT/Northumberland Road Builders Association endowment fund will provide a $1,000 award each year in perpetuity to a Loyalist student studying in an OACETT-recognized engineering or applied science program. Students enrolled in their first, second or third year will be able to apply for this financial support.
OACETT and the Fletcher Foundation have engaged in its 25 for 25 Building Forward capital campaign to expand the bursary program’s reach and support technology education that will cultivate expertise to meet local and global demands. Early campaign success has made it possible to quickly establish endowment funds at 14 colleges already, including the one celebrated at Loyalist today.
Founded in 1957, OACETT is the professional association that promotes the interests of engineering and applied science technicians and technologists in industry, educational institutions, with government and with the public. OACETT is also Ontario’s independent certifying body for engineering and applied science technicians and technologists. The Carole and George Fletcher Foundation bursary program, administered by OACETT, helps young people across the province pursue careers in engineering and applied science technology. Since awarding its first bursary in 1987, the Foundation has recognized 326 worthy students across Ontario.
The NRBA is composed of a diverse range of Municipal employees (active and retired) having responsibility for roads in both an operations and maintenance capacity to design and construction. A number of supplier representatives are also part of the membership, providing a well-rounded forum to meet the objectives of the association including promotion of good public relations, exchange of ideas and information, study and promotion of better methods of road construction and maintenance, discussion of government legislation affecting Municipalities and subsidies, and maintaining relations with other Government Agencies. In 2010, the NRBA hosted the annual AORS Municipal Trade Show, and, as a result of the success of this event, the NRBA was able to make this donation with the revenues provided from the Trade Show.
For more information about OACETT and the Foundation’s campaign, please visit www.oacett.org.
On behalf of the College, Loyalist President, Maureen Piercy, accepts a cheque from the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT).
In addition to the generous donation from OACETT’s Carole and George Fletcher Foundation, Loyalist College President, Maureen Piercy, accepts matching gifts from the Northumberland Road Builders Association (NRBA).
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For further information, please contact:
Richard Stamper
Manager, Business Development
OACETT
10 Four Seasons Place, Suite 404
Toronto, ON M9B 6H7
Ph: 416-621-9621, ext. 250
Email: rstamper@oacett.org
John Cane, President
Northumberland Road Builders Association
60 Elgin Street West
Cobourg, ON K9A 4J9
Ph: 905-372-0982
Email: canej@northumberlandcounty.ca
Kerry Lorimer
Media Relations Specialist
Loyalist College
376 Wallbridge-Loyalist Road, Belleville, ON K8N 5B9
Ph: 613-969-1913, ext. 2536
klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca