Assiniboine College marked the official opening of the new home for the Mechatronics Engineering Technology program on November 3 and announced the naming of the facility - Price Mechatronics Centre - for Dr. Gerry and Barb Price of Price Industries.
"Our Mechatronics program is designed to meet the needs of the rapidly evolving manufacturing, processing and food development sectors in Manitoba," said Mark Frison, President at Assiniboine College. "The Price Mechatronics Centre is an integral part of equipping these students with the skills to enter jobs in modern manufacturing and automation. Providing industry with the talent they need is critical to the future of the Manitoba economy and our ability to be competitive in international markets."
The Centre includes three specialized learning spaces - a mechatronics lab, electronics and PLC (programmable logic controller) lab, and a robotics and process control lab - equipped with industry standard equipment for hands-on learning.
"World class manufacturing today requires automation, process control and robotics skills that were not commonplace many years ago," Gerry Price said. "We are happy to support the new Assiniboine College Mechatronics facility in its efforts to impart these new skills to manufacturing engineers of the future".
Dr. Gerry and Barb Price, through Price Industries, are leaders in the mechanical engineering technologies and industrial manufacturing space. Bolstering their commitment to this field, they provided a generous $500,000 gift to support students and the future of the Mechatronics program.
Announced this spring, Prairies Economic Development Canada also invested $2.25 million in the facility.
"Manitoba businesses need skilled workers to adopt new technologies, increase productivity and stay competitive. Assiniboine College's new Price Mechatronics Centre is helping meet that demand by giving students the hands-on training and experience they need to succeed in a changing workforce," said The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. "Our government is proud to support this investment in Manitoba's future, and it's exciting to see students already putting this new space to use."
The college launched Mechatronics Engineering Technology in September 2025 and welcomed students returning for their second year of the program alongside students entering their first year into the space this fall.
"We know that a strong Manitoba economy starts with a well-educated and skilled workforce. The Mechatronics program at Assiniboine provides important training and education to ensure there are skilled graduates ready to support growing automation needs in a variety of sectors. Opening this new space to provide students with the high-quality training they need to succeed in these careers throughout Manitoba is another important milestone," said the Honourable Renée Cable, Minister of Advanced Education and Training for the Province of Manitoba. "We send best wishes for a rewarding learning experience and future career to students currently studying in the Price Mechatronics Centre and those who will enrol in future years."
