Confederation College and Alstom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a partnership to align education and training with the company's projected workforce needs through 2029.
The agreement creates a framework for collaboration focused on workforce planning, training capacity development, and aligning academic pathways with industry demand. The partnership will support the development of training opportunities that address hiring needs and help prepare graduates for careers in manufacturing and transportation.
The MOU outlines a structured approach to identifying workforce demand, defining role requirements, and aligning education and training pathways with industry needs. This includes validating hiring projections, determining entry requirements, and supporting the development of training capacity to meet future demand.
"Confederation College is committed to working with industry partners to ensure our programs reflect current and future workforce needs," said Michelle Salo, President of Confederation College. "This partnership with Alstom will help strengthen pathways from education to employment, ensuring students graduate with the skills and experience needed to fill Alstom's in-demand roles."
"At Alstom, we're focused on building long-term career pathways that strengthen Canadian manufacturing and keep our country's transit projects moving," said Lindsay Fenton, TTC NST, Chief of Operations, Alstom. "This MOU with Confederation College helps connect students and jobseekers to the skills and training that match both our local and national hiring needs creating opportunities for people in northwestern Ontario while supporting the workforce we need through 2029."
Alstom was recently awared a contract valued at 2.3 billion dollars by the Toronto Transit Commission to supply 440 New Subway Train (NST) cars to replace the aging fleet and support future expansions. The cars will be designed, manufactured and tested in Canada, creating and supporting 945 direct jobs across the country, including 250 in Alstom's facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This supports Alstom's mission to provide mobility solutions for Canadians, by Canadians.
The partnership will also support ongoing collaboration between the College and Alstom to monitor workforce trends and adjust training approaches as needed, helping maintain alignment between workforce supply and industry demand over time.
Additional Quotes
"This MOU represents the important role Confederation College has in building the workforce here in our community. Confederation College offers a full range of services to response to the industry needs."
Carol Cline, Associate Vice President, Workforce Development, Confederation College
For more information
1450 Nakina Drive
Thunder Bay Ontario
Canada P7C 4W1
www.confederationcollege.ca/
