13, 2 0 1 7 | Provincecelebrates 50 years - and success - of Sheridan College continued from p.18 equipment and learning resources and $ 2 million in the Northern Colleges Collaboration -- a total $ 5 0 million to m ark the 50th anniversary. Sheridan College will receive $ 2 .8 million to help provide quality education to students to acquire skills they need for getting jobs. Founded in 1967, Sheridan has expanded from a local school of 4 0 0 students to now educating approximately 2 2 ,0 0 0 full-time and 17,000 continuing and part-time studies students, annually, on four campuses in Oakville, Brampton, and Mississauga. The funding announcement was made April 7 by Oakville M PP and Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, who was joined by Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris, Sheridan president and vice-chancellor Mary Preece and former Mississauga mayor and Sheridan Chancellor, Hazel McCallion, at the Oakville Campus. Sheridan will use the cash to invest in new technology, equipment and learning spaces. To demonstrate how some of the m oney will be distributed, the announcement was precluded by a snippet performance from the show, Senza Luce - a new musical by Brian Hill and Neil Bartram, developed through Sheridan' s Canadian Music Theatre Project (CM TP). "Sheridan College leads the way in providing the n ext generation of leaders in our society with the skills they need to pursue careers in every sector of the economy, " said Flynn. "You'v e just made us so proud in this comm unity and in this province. It just shows the expertise that resides within these four walls." Flynn discussed the history of Ontario' s colleges to remember "where we came from and how we got here." "It was under Bill Davis' (Minister ofEducation) leadership the government of Ontario passed legislation that was going to establish a brand new category of post-secondary education, something that was unheard of before," said Flynn. He cited a statistic from Colleges of Ontario that put the number of graduating students since 1 9 6 7 at two million, stating they've moved on to such "bigger and better things." The Labour Minister noted Ontario' s colleges offer about 9 0 0 programs, providing a range of credentials from diplomas and degrees to post-graduate certificates and class training for apprenticeships in skilled trades. "You play such a vital role in the province and its economy and you play such a vital role in the post-secondary landscape of this province, and in developing that highly-skilled workforce," he said. Naidoo-Harris said colleges play a "extremely important part" in the province, as they help put so m any young people on a path to success. The Halton MPP said investment in colleges is an "investment in our young people and the long term success of our great province and future." "I'm so proud of the remarkable w ork that's happening here. You're leading the way, whether it comes to theatre, whether it' s animation, whether it' s gaming, whether it' s the work you're doing in film studios, even in sports," said Naidoo-Harris. McCallion, Sheridan' s firstchancellor, discussed where some of the funding will be directed to -- $ 4 0 0 ,0 0 0 to new welding equipment for the school' s skilled-trades programs, "reinforcing our comm itment to offering a range of credentials at the undergraduate level," she said, while $ 6 0 0 ,0 0 0 will be directed to the library and learning com m ons, "where we can truly touch the lives of so m any of our students across a widerange of programs." She noted the remaining $ 1 .8 million will be allocated in the coming weeks towards enhancing learning environments and technology. "It is so important we invest as m uch as we can and to encourage our young people to excel in whatever profession they undertake or for training," said McCallion. www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 22 B e y o n d K i t c h e n s &Ba t h S jd ^ e c ta tio n s y w w w .b e y o n d k it c h e n s .ca D esign _ n sta kitchens, vanities, wall unit, mantle, walk in closet, laundry room, Bar, etc; · Granite, Quartz countertops · Full renovation service · Real estate service; FULLY CUSTOM QEW Speers Rd G a k V i/e S h o w ro o m L o c a tio n 466 speers Rd,unit 6-7 oakville, oN L6K 3W9 T: 905-338-8999 / 905-338-8199 F: 905-338-8099 info@beyondkitchens.ca *Trades, realtors, builder programme available, please ask store for details; Lake Shore