About two years ago, Sokha Yim was at a professional crossroads.
After working as a forklift operator at Syncreon in Windsor, Ont. for 14 years, the company closed its doors, and he found himself out of a job.
"At that time, I was actually forming a family. So, to get that news, I knew I had to get back on my feet, because my baby was coming," said Yim. "I had to figure out other solutions to better my career, for my family."
Yim, a member of Unifor local 195, sought help through the Unifor Action Centre, which was established for people who fell victim to plant closures and lay-offs in the automotive manufacturing sector. That's when he learned about a new program being offered in partnership with St. Clair College in Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing.
Fast forward, and after five months of intensive training, Yim walked across the stage as part of the first graduating class to obtain the Battery Manufacturing certificate from St. Clair College.
"I'm just proud that there are systems in place for the little guy, you know, just to fight for us," said Sokha, who is 39 and was recently hired on by NextStar Energy as a resin technician at the massive new battery plant in Windsor. "There's going to be people there to fight for you, and that just motivates me every day."
St. Clair College hosted a special convocation ceremony for the 24 graduates on Jan. 26, 2025, to recognize the students' accomplishments, but also draw attention to the important partnerships forged between education, industry, labour, and government which made the program possible.
"It has been St. Clair College's honour to partner with Unifor, Stellantis, LGES and NextStar Energy to play a role in the inception of this exciting new local manufacturing advancement," said St. Clair College President, Michael Silvaggi. "You are professional pioneers, for you bear the expertise associated with the key component of the newest, most revolutionary and most important automotive technology to find its way from the drawing board to the shop floor."
Each student in the program - whether in their 20s or 50s - has a different story, but most have one thing in common: experience in the manufacturing sector, and a need to upskill to find meaningful, sustainable work.
"This program has transformed devastating job losses into a remarkable new career opportunity," said Emile Nabbout, the President of Unifor local 195. "We needed an effective education lead which can coordinate between corporations and labour, and in this case, St. Clair College was the first college to step up to the plate to introduce this program."
Graduates of the Battery Manufacturing Certificate program at St. Clair College stand with College President Michael Silvaggi on Jan. 26, 2025. (Rich Garton/St. Clair College)
Bringing the program to life
The automotive industry in Canada is also at a crossroads of sorts, but in this case, an exciting one. Automakers are making record investments to create an electric vehicle supply chain, including a partnership between Stellantis and LGES - NextStar Energy - anchored in Windsor.
The billions of dollars invested into the new battery plant by both Stellantis, LGES and the governments of Ontario and Canada promised 2,500 new jobs and supply chain spin-offs to launch and sustain the emerging industry.
Soon after, other automakers announced plans of a similar scope in nearby jurisdictions, growing Canada's electric vehicle footprint and building excitement around the automotive industry in this country for the first time in decades.
These new EV-related jobs are in high demand - but there was a skills gap of sorts, with very little in the way of training infrastructure to support the new roles.
"At that time, no one knew what would be needed, and no one had a program," recalled Linda Poho, the EV upskilling and training project coordinator for Unifor.
Conversations began between Unifor and St. Clair College to develop a program that could leverage the new opportunities by upskilling laid-off workers to capitalize on the record investments.
"Through our established working relationship with the Labour Action Centre and Unifor National, we seized an opportunity to serve our community," said Tina Papac, the Director of Continuing Education and Corporate Education at St. Clair College. "By joining forces, we once again created an invaluable opportunity through a customized training program which drove a remarkable and impactful outcome."
Papac and her team at St. Clair College engaged with Stellantis and LGES over a six-month period to create a certification tailored to industry needs to ensure graduates can enter the workforce seamlessly and productively.
"When NextStar Energy first came to Windsor, we made a clear commitment to this community, a commitment not only to invest in new technology but also in the people who drive it forward," said Melissa Hoover, the Talent Acquisition Manager for NextStar Energy. "That means ensuring our local workforce is equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in our rapidly evolving industry."
"We're very grateful to St. Clair College for the collaboration and development of this program. Innovation is key, and by combining our region's expertise with cutting-edge skills, we're shaping the pioneers within this exciting EV industry," Hoover said.
"This graduation is unique and significant," remarked John Parent, a member of the College's Board of Governors. "Once again, St. Clair College has listened and responded to the needs of our community."
"While today's group may be smaller compared to other graduation ceremonies, the contributions you will make will be anything but small. You are stepping into your fields as skilled professionals, leaders, and change-makers, equipped to shape the future of our industries and our region," Parent said.
Another key partner in the initiative is the Ontario government. Unifor applied for the Skills Development Fund through the Province's Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Unifor successfully landed that grant, which ensures each student going through the newly developed program could attend College without paying a dime. The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
"We stand with the workers and families that are impacted by these layoffs," said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development. "Ontario's automotive industry is the engine that drives our economy, and we're making sure no worker is left behind as the industry transitions into the future."
"I firmly believe that programs like this are very valuable. They provide workers an opportunity to build a brighter future, while enabling employers like NextStar Energy to hire a skilled employee to meet their current industry standard," said Nabbout. "I want to acknowledge the provincial government for providing the funding for this training. This is a wise investment and upskilling initiative, as well as recognizing St. Clair College for its swift to response to the demands of labour and industry."
Graduates already making an impact on the job
In remarkable fashion, the entire first cohort of students graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.
"I'm so very proud of this class. It was a great group that came together through thick and thin and through mutual support," said graduate, Robert Kennedy, who gave a speech at the graduation ceremony, hosted at St. Clair College.
It was inspiring to see, said Poho, since many of the students were still working while attending evening and weekend classes.
The program and its students are near and dear to her heart, as Poho knows all too well what workers go through when they find themselves out of work. After working at Syncreon for 21 years, she was laid off in 2022, relating to the graduates of this program whose lives took a similar path.
"The majority had lost their livelihood, their jobs, either due to plant closures or indefinite layoffs. They all had the same desire to do whatever it took to obtain the training that would put them in a better position to acquire sustainable employment," she said, noting they have put in the work and are ready to make a professional impact.
"These graduates are like my kids, and I'm so proud of their hard work and achievement," said Poho.
Of the 24 members of the first cohort in the Battery Manufacturing certificate program, 15 have already been hired on at NextStar Energy. Four others have taken various roles in the manufacturing industry and five are still hoping for that phone call from NextStar.
"They have the manufacturing experience, and now they have the upskilling in the EV sector. And with their personalities of commitment and dedication, companies would really be silly not to hire them," said Poho, who is confident all 24 graduates will soon be gainfully employed.
One of those graduates, Rachel de Vries, was recently hired at NextStar as a quality inspector.
"I was very, very grateful for this opportunity to upskill and learn some more," said de Vries, who was laid off from her job at Flex-N-Gate, which led her to this program. "It's definitely a little beacon of hope. And then taking the course, it was such a variety of classes that it just broadened my horizons."
But it doesn't stop there. A second intake of students is currently enrolled in the certification at St. Clair College, with a third intake between Windsor and Chatham planned to start in February.
One of the members of the second cohort came to watch the graduation ceremony on Sunday.
"I see that, and I pinch myself," said Yoel Perez Garcia, acknowledging that it will soon be his turn to walk across the stage. "It's a good feeling. It's a good feeling because you see all the joy and all the recognition, after all the sacrifice that you do in training, and it makes you feel good."
"It makes you feel like you have to keep going. And I believe, after me, there's going be more and more people taking this course," he said.
Unifor has applied for another round of grant funding to continue administering the program and is hopeful the province and ministry will continue to see the benefits of funding the program.
"This is what partnership looks like, and this is what it does," said Poho. "We have outcomes like this, and we have people now back in the workforce - in good jobs - because of it."
St. Clair College President Michael Silvaggi shakes hands with a graduate of the Battery Manufacturing Certificate program on Jan. 26, 2025. (Rich Garton/St. Clair College)
