St. Clair is chiefly regulated and funded by the provincial Ministry of Colleges and Universities, but it also has significant dealings with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development - and, on March 9, it was visited by that agency's head.
Conservative Minister Monte McNaughton - also the MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex - spent 90 minutes at Windsor's South Campus during a half-day visit to the city.
Also in the entourage was Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkins.
One of McNaughton's and his ministry's chief focuses during the past several years has been "closing the skills gap": striving to attract more young people to enter the educational and apprenticeship pathways to careers in the skilled trades.
St. Clair used his visit to highlight some of its efforts in that regard.
Coincidentally, an Employment Ontario information session and jobs fair was being held at the college on the 9th, to encourage the college's electrical program students to explore apprenticeship opportunities in that field. McNaughton briefly dropped into that meeting to speak with the assembled students.
Subsequently, he saw some of the college's hands-on skilled trades offerings, and spoke to students and faculty, during a tour of the Ford Centre for Excellence in Manufacturing.
The minister's visit was capped by a luncheon hosted by St. Clair President Patti France. The photo in the accompanying series depicts, left to right: Dowie, McNaughton, France and Dilkens.
