Belleville, Ontario, August 26, 2016 – The Board of Governors of Loyalist College announced the naming of ‘The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre’ today, in recognition of the support provided by the citizens of Belleville, Quinte West, Hastings County and Prince Edward County during the Campaign for Loyalist College. The Capital Campaign was designed to complete and equip the Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre, and to establish much-needed awards and student financial assistance. Thanks to the generosity of many, including the municipalities, the Skills Centre is a state-of-the-art facility that provides Skills programs, development and training for the region.
(L-R) Mayor Taso Christopher, City of Belleville; Warden Rick Phillips, Hastings County; June Hagerman, Loyalist College Board of Governors Chair; Mayor Jim Harrison, City of Quinte West; Loyalist College President & CEO Maureen Piercy; and Prince Edward County Councillor Gordon Fox
Quotes
“In recognition of the generous support of this project by the citizens of Belleville, Quinte West, and the Counties of Hastings and Prince Edward, which collectively totaled almost $1.5 million, I am very pleased to announce that the Board of Governors has approved the naming of the Skills Centre as ‘The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre.’ This name will be featured on exterior signage and the support of the communities will be recognized on plaques which will be installed in entrance areas. Your commitment has made the Skills Centre a reality; thank you!” – June Hagerman, Chair, Loyalist College Board of Governors
“As I wrap up my career at Loyalist, one of the many wonderful memories I have is of the support our communities have provided over the years in so many ways – in building programs and helping with events and activities and, in particular, in providing support to the College through the Campaign for Loyalist. As you know, the Skills Centre was built with a $16.6 million investment from the provincial and federal governments – we were delighted to receive that funding through the federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program with matching funds from the provincial government, and that funding was announced in 2009. In addition, the Capital Campaign goal of $6 million was exceeded – thanks to the generosity of our partners and communities, including the significant support from our home communities – the City of Belleville, the City of Quinte West, Hastings County, and Prince Edward County. Thank you! Loyalist, as always, is very proud to be your College.” – Loyalist College President & CEO Maureen Piercy
“The City of Belleville is a proud partner in the newly named ‘Bay of Quinte Skills Centre.’ Thank you to all of the Regional partners for making this Skills Centre possible. As a Region, we are putting Loyalist College on the map in providing top notch education in skilled trades and technology.” – Mayor Taso Christopher, City of Belleville
“The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre is an important asset supporting the education and training for youth in our community, as well as developing the latest skills for workers in the area’s businesses. We are very pleased to have this fantastic facility located in this great region.” – Mayor Jim Harrison, City of Quinte West
“Hastings County is proud to have supported Loyalist College in the development of the Bay of Quinte Skills Centre in support of higher learning across the Hastings-Quinte region. The members of Hastings County Council recognize the value that a superior education and training contribute in the development of a skilled workforce and we are pleased to continue our strong partnership.” – Warden Rick Phillips, Hastings County
“Loyalist College is such an important resource to our community and we want to be able to give it all the support that we can. The County is looking forward to seeing graduates from this freshly-renamed Skills Centre and the amazing things that they’ll do for our community.” – Mayor Robert Quaiff, County of Prince Edward
About the Bay of Quinte Skills Centre
After years of advocacy by area manufacturers and economic development partners, and a successful proposal by the College, the multi-use facility was built with a $16.6 million investment from the provincial and federal governments. Support from all sectors made it a reality, with funding from the federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program and matching funds from the provincial government. The Skills Centre, which opened in 2011, features 50,950 square feet of repurposed ‘green’ space, and an additional 70,850 square feet of new, flexible space for teaching, laboratories, shops, research labs and classrooms. LEED® Silver certification was awarded in 2014.
About Loyalist College
We put you to work™. When it comes to grads getting jobs, 87.4 percent of the College’s most recent graduates found employment within six months of graduation compared to the provincial average of 83.6 percent, according to Provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released in April 2016. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior student services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and the LEED® Silver certified Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. The College is a key driver of the social and economic health and prosperity of the area and contributes 5.4 percent to the Gross Regional Product. This represents an overall effect on the regional economy of $530 million – based on a 2014 Report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses, visit loyalistcollege.com.
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Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director of Marketing and Communications, Loyalist College,
klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536