Conestoga College is getting an upgrade at its Cambridge campus thanks to a $2 million donation from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC). The funding will be used to create three additional manufacturing lines at the school’s engineering and technology lab. “We build the first line,” explained Conestoga College professor Christine Burns. “The money is going to go to building the other three lines, as well as adding some more bells and whistles for the latest and greatest technology and industry 4.0.” She said purchasing one of the lines directly from a manufacturer would cost roughly $5 million. Due to her experience working with the machinery, the college only has to purchase the parts. “We’ve already gotten portions of the funding that we’ve used to purchase the bulk of the materials,” Burns said. “We managed to get that in right before the tariffs really started to have an effect.” The lab’s manufacturing lines will also set a new learning standard for colleges across the province, with Conestoga students getting a hands-on learning experience. “They’re learning with industry items, as opposed to learning with buttons and lights,” Burns explained. In a statement emailed to CTV News, TMMC President Tim Hollander said, in part: “By giving students access to state-of-the-art technology and real-world applications, we’re helping cultivate the next generation of skilled professionals who will lead the future of manufacturing.” Issam Seghiri, a second-year co-op student at Conestoga, worked on the college’s first line. “I was able to learn new stuff with robotics, automation, mechanical designing, and troubleshooting as well,” he said, adding that future students will benefit from the experience. While they won’t actually build car parts, professors believe creating familiarity with lines will pay off when the students eventually get jobs in the automotive sector. “Toyota hires a fair number of co-op students from our programs,” said Burns. “So everything on here are things that they would actually see in the industry.” The additional three lines are currently being built. They will be delivered once Conestoga transforms its current lab into a smart factory learning hub, which will highlight Toyota’s contribution. The work is expected to be completed by September. “I’m really grateful that Conestoga was able to find someone to support this project. It is very helpful for students,” Seghiri said.
