The CWA Foundation and the Marinucci Family Foundation plan to donate $500,000 to high school welding programs in Canada. Each secondary school will receive $5,000 annually over ten years. CWA made the annoucnement at the CanWeld Conference in St. John’s, NL. At the same time, the CWA Foundation plans to establish a welding program at a secondary school in Newfoundland.
Deborah Mates, executive director of the CWA Foundation says the donation from the Marinucci Family Foundation will provide students with a better quality learning experience in welding programs. She says the Foundation plans to work with the local school boards in Newfoundland, Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador and Women in Resource Development in Newfoundland to identify a school to implement a full time welding program in the province.
Once the secondary school is selected, Mates says the CWA Foundation “will support them in the same way as the other 10 schools across Canada. It is our objective to grow this model program by encouraging other individuals, corporations and industry partners to look within their own communities to support their local secondary school welding programs.”
The ten schools selection to receive funding include:
- Grande Cashe Community High School, Grande Cashe, Alta.
- St. Joseph’s High School, Edmonton, AB
- West Central High School Fabrication, Rocky Mountain House, AB
- Sardis Secondary School, Chilliwack, BC
- Lord Selkirk Comprehensive School, Selkirk, MB
- Oromocto High School, Oromocto, NB
- Diamond Jenness High School in Hay River, NWT
- Ottawa Technical Secondary School, Ottawa, ON
- Pontiac High School, Shawville, QC
- Albert E. Peacock Collegiate, Moose Jaw, SK
Funding will be initiated January 1, 2016 and will be used to assist with purchasing equipment and materials for welding programs.
Mates says the schools were selected based on the history of the welding program, student success, and internal and external recommendations from welding education experts.
“The MFF, a Canadian charity established in 2010, is committed to funding programs that significantly improve youth education. We are excited to partner with the CWA Foundation to significantly enhance secondary school welding programs across Canada,” says John Marinucci, founder and chairman. “By also working towards developing a secondary school welding program within Newfoundland, students will get to experience the benefit of early exposure to such a vital and growing skilled trade within Canada.”
The provides support to education-based programs and initiatives. John Marinucci serves as a current member on the board of the CWA Foundation. Marinucci, retired as president and CEO of New Flyer in 2009 and previously served as president of National Steel Car.
