Government of Canada Supports Next Generation of Casting Professionals

HAMILTON, ON, Feb. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Parliamentary Secretary Kim Rudd, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources, today launched a casting course that will be co-delivered by Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) CanmetMATERIALS laboratory and Mohawk College. The course will support the training of highly qualified personnel in the technical field of casting and the next generation of professionals who will contribute to Canada's manufacturing sector.

Parliamentary Secretary Rudd also accepted a commemorative plaque in honour of the partnership between NRCan and Mohawk College. This partnership includes the recent relocation of the college's casting lab equipment from its Archie McCoy Memorial Foundry Lab to NRCan's facilities in the McMaster Innovation Park.

In 2014, Mohawk College closed its Archie McCoy Memorial Foundry Lab and a portion of its casting equipment was transferred to NRCan's facilities to enable the college's third-year casting students to receive lectures and in-lab experience from government scientists and technologists. Scientific and technical staff at CanmetMATERIALS are involved in research and development to provide materials solutions for Canadian industry in the energy, transportation and metal-manufacturing sectors.

Quick Facts

• Casting is an essential first step in the value-added chain of manufacturing, and foundries contribute nearly $900 million to Canada's gross domestic product each year.
• Established in the 1940s, NRCan's CanmetMATERIALS laboratory is the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to metals and materials processing, fabrication and evaluation.
• Since NRCan's CanmetMATERIALS' move to Hamilton in 2010, the lab has strengthened ties and increased engagement with industry and academia to better facilitate the transfer of knowledge and accelerate the pace of commercialization.

Quotes
"Our government is committed to science and innovation, and through this collaboration with Mohawk College we are contributing to the training of Canada's next generation of casting professionals. By accessing NRCan's CanmetMATERIALS' state-of-the-art research lab and some of our country's brightest minds, Mohawk students will graduate with in-depth knowledge that will help them lead tomorrow's metal-casting industry and drive Canada's economy."

Kim Rudd
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

"Mohawk College is proud to work with our partners at CanmetMATERIALS to give our students a unique opportunity to further develop their technical skills in a world-class facility."

Ron McKerlie
President, Mohawk College

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Micheline Joanisse,Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 343-292-6837; Media Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, 343-292-6100