St. Clair College recently welcomed Kathy Borrelli, the Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, for a thoughtful discussion on the resilience of Ontario's college sector and the important role community colleges continue to play in responding to regional needs.
The conversation highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit that exists across the college system, including St. Clair College's ability to pivot, adapt and respond quickly to emerging opportunities and challenges.
Discussions focused on the College's strengths in intrapreneurship, applied research, innovation, community collaboration and student-centred learning.
"Just being in the building, breathing it all in, and seeing the facilities, seeing what's available to students – it's fascinating. It's huge," said Borrelli. "It's what we need to train people who want to go into the trades, and we need more of that."
Borrelli, who is an MP with the Conservative Party of Canada, said she grew up in a family supported by the trades: Her father was a tool and die maker and two of her brothers both went into the tooling industry.
"Walking through here, I felt just like I did on those shop floors, in the tool and mold factories and the tool and die shops," she reminisced. "It's clean, it's well laid out. The lighting's interesting. It's calming, and everything is about precision."
College representatives shared how St. Clair continues to advocate at both federal and provincial tables for sustainable funding and stronger recognition of the role colleges play in research and innovation.
The discussion also emphasized the need to keep pace with rapid developments in deep learning, artificial intelligence, data governance, security and robotic automation, all of which are embedded within emerging technologies that are reshaping industry, health care, education and community services.
MP Borrelli said she's a big advocate for skilled trades, and specifically, mold making. She's pushing to have mold making recognized as a Red Seal trade.
"Mold makers specifically have an ageing population amongst their skilled people, and they need new people coming in," Borrelli said. "I think it not being a Red Seal trade has a lot to do with students not being able to get funded to take that course."
A key theme of the meeting with MP Borrelli was the College's commitment to creating student-friendly spaces and ensuring that the student learning outcome experience remains the primary reason for its work. St. Clair College continues to pride itself on partnerships that support regional priorities, including in-demand jobs, health innovation, technology development, crisis response and community-based solutions.
"Kathy's visit reminded us of the strength that comes from working together in advocacy. Community colleges are constantly adapting, partnering and building solutions with our regions, and we deeply appreciated Kathy's attentive and supportive approach," said Dr. Karamjeet K. Dhillon, Director of Research and Innovation at St. Clair College. "Her willingness to listen, understand our research and innovation needs, and explore opportunities that could strengthen our capacity speaks to the kind of collaboration we need for the future."
This advocacy is especially important as regional opportunities and federal announcements continue to move quickly, including during the summer months when institutions must remain responsive, visible and prepared to contribute. St. Clair College has taken an active role in recent regional conversations, meeting with local and federal leaders and ensuring that the college voice is present as priorities around defence readiness, skills training, workforce development and economic impact continue to evolve.
The College's ability to pivot, respond rapidly and remain connected to community and industry needs reflects its broader commitment to serving the economy and supporting the long-term resilience of Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and the surrounding region.
"Together, we can continue to advance student success, community resilience and innovation that directly benefits the people and industries we serve," Dr. Dhillon added.
The member of parliament was very attentive during the visit, offering support and willingness to better understand the needs of the college sector, particularly in the research and innovation space. The College welcomed her insights on advocacy, funding opportunities and the importance of ensuring that community colleges are equipped to continue serving as engines of local innovation.
"I understand that it can make a difference for a family, to have an earner, working in the trades where they're very well paid, and they're great jobs," Borrelli said. "And this is the place to get the training, of course."
"I think it's a great place to start. Most shops would be very welcoming of someone to come out of a program here, because the students have the basics and the fundamentals that they need to progress on the floor in one of those shops."
