Loyalist College seeking public money for new Skills Centre

By Marc Venema

Giving back to the community by donating money to Loyalist College’s new Skill Centre was an easy choice for Procter and Gamble plant manager Dave Carberry.

“By investing in Loyalist College we are helping the community,” Carberry said. “We want to invest in the community so the community is enjoying the same success that we are.”

Carberry was one of the many community partners on hand during Tuesday’s official launch of the Loyalist College campaign to raise funds to equip and complete the college’s new Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre.

Carberry presented a cheque of $75,000 on behalf of Procter and Gamble. The company has also donated almost $200,000 in equipment to the centre over the last year.

Carberry urges others to do the same.

“It’s a real opportunity to make an impact with young people’s lives that are looking to build a career,” Carberry said.

“If you give to a cause like Loyalist College, I think you’ll get back.”

Both the provincial and federal governments footed the bill of the $16.6 million facility, but that money was just for the structure alone.

“That $16 million was to put the structure there, not to equip it,” said Loyalist College president Maureen Piercy.

“That really helped us build the bricks and mortar, but we are looking to our community partners to help us complete and fully equip the centre in the style that our partners and students deserve.”

The college’s goal is to raise $6 million, $5 million to equip the skills centre and $1 million for endowment funds and student financial assistance. To date, almost $4 million has been raised.

Piercy said the college is hoping for more donations from community-based-companies like the one from Procter and Gamble. She said that getting people through the doors is one of the easiest ways to impress them.

“Once people see the centre, they’ve got the bug,” said Piercy. “They’re totally enthusiastic about the wonderful facility and opportunities.”

Doug Mack, a 40-year member of the Ontario Association of Certified and Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT), presented a cheque of $40,000.

Mack said his association decided to give to the school to help in building stronger students that may one day end up at his association’s doorstep.

“This is the association giving back to the college to help them produce more engineering technicians and technologists.”

Local municipalities have also been getting behind the college during the campaign. Both Belleville and Quinte West will provide $500,00 each, and Hastings County has committed $350,000.

Piercy said the school has already begun purchasing equipment for the new centre, with lots more to go.

“We have a big, long wish list from all our faculties for equipment that they need to support student learning.”

Piercy said the college hopes to raise the $6 million within the next year to year and a half.