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A recent delegation to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference has sparked promising developments for the future of Algonquin College’s Perth campus, slated to close later this year.
At the AMO conference Aug. 17 to 20, Lanark County entrepreneur Toby Shannan presented a proposal to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to repurpose the site as a skilled trades training centre. He stressed the urgent need to keep trades education accessible in the region.
The proposal drew strong interest from Minister David Piccini, who connected Shannan with Skilled Trades Ontario to explore next steps. A follow-up meeting is being scheduled to discuss designating the site as a “Training Delivery Agent” under the ministry’s framework.
Lanark County Warden Toby Randell said the closure of the Perth campus will leave a “significant gap” in training and retaining skilled workers. County councillors, Town of Perth officials and staff also backed the delegation.
County council had endorsed the delegation at its May 21 meeting, identifying the campus reuse as a priority issue for provincial engagement.
Source: Lanark County
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