We are excited to announce that St. Clair College has been awarded a $500,000 grant by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) to launch the Regional Future Workforce Program, a program designed to get more children and youth engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), specifically in the automotive and mobility sector. The grant ends on December 15, 2023. This program will be administered by St. Clair College’s Research and Innovation department in collaboration with local industry and community partners, Centerline (Windsor) Limited, FIRST Robotics Canada, Invest Windsor-Essex, WEtech Alliance, and Women Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) of Windsor to form the Engage the Future Automobility Generation team.
The program will involve St. Clair College engineering and skilled trade students collaborating with University of Windsor Faculty of Education students to enter the Greater Essex County District School Board, Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, Lambton Kent District School Board, and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board to administer hands-on lessons using an educational robot. As part of the program, funds will be used to purchase over 500 robots, with an aim to impact 1000 students in the region. The program will make Ontario science curriculum connections by engaging students in topics such as coding, programming, automation, and electric vehicle powertrain. The program will use a combination of experts from St. Clair College’s School of Engineering Technology faculty as well as experienced education experts to develop lesson plans and STEM curriculum connections. To prepare for a September start, the STEM program will be piloted as a summer camp, hosted at St. Clair College. Several community groups will be welcomed on campus to engage in the program and provide input on program design and curriculum. The college is excited about the launch and implementation of the program and looks forward to increasing local student interest in pursuing education and a career in the automobility sector.