General Motors has donated three new vehicles to Niagara College for use in the institution’s Motive Power education programs.
The vehicles, a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban and a 2018 Cadillac XTS, were generously donated to Niagara College by General Motors Canada to increase the hands-on learning opportunities offered to students. The three vehicles contain some of the most current automotive technologies employed in modern consumer cars, and will allow students to gain real-world experience diagnosing, fixing, and replacing these technologies.
In addition, General Motors has also donated $50,000 to support the purchase of instructional equipment in the College’s recently opened Green Automotive Technology Lab. The 3,600-square-foot lab boasts electric vehicle charging stations, hybrid and electric motor diagnostic and simulation tools, alternative fuels technology, and vehicles that allow students unfettered access to the technology that will dominate the roads of the future. The Green Automotive Technology Lab will also be a hub for research activities into the future of automotive technology, working in concert with the College’s Research and Innovation division.
Carolyne Watts, Plant Manager at General Motors Canada’s St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, presented the donation to Niagara College President Dan Patterson at the College’s Rankin Technology Centre on June 25.
“General Motors Canada is proud to support Niagara College with this gift,” said Watts. “The new Green Automotive Technology Lab and its innovative curriculum will no doubt further Niagara College’s leadership in automotive education and training, and help support the changing needs of an evolving auto industry.”
General Motors Canada has long been a strong supporter of Niagara College’s Motive Power programs. The company works closely with NC’s school of trades to provide guidance and input on program and curriculum development, and many NC grads go on to become service technicians or service managers in GM dealerships across the country. On August 27, 2015, GM Canada also donated a salvaged 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS, which students rebuilt over a period of two years, giving them the opportunity to practice hands-on body repair techniques.
GM’s St. Catharines Propulsion Plant also partners with the College on several environmental initiatives, including collaborating for World Environment and Earth Day events, and hosting student field projects from the Ecosystem Restoration post-graduate program since 2011, and student interns from the Environmental Management and Assessment post-graduate program since 2013.
