Georgian College's Owen Sound Campus is participating in Doors Open Ontario 2016, a province-wide celebration of community heritage that offers access, enhances awareness, and encourages excitement about local heritage. Doors Open Owen Sound provides residents and visitors a unique opportunity to explore interesting places within the community – all free of charge – on Saturday, June 4.
Georgian will be offering visitors a first-hand look into the college's innovative culinary and technology programs.
Visitors interested in culinary arts can tour the kitchens with Chef Anthony Bevan and learn how to launch an exciting career in the world of food, in five-star restaurants, hotels, catering, institutional kitchens, remote kitchens (i.e. mining camps, Great Lakes shipping industry), or how to start their own food business. There will also be lots of tasty treats to enjoy.
On the technology side, visitors can tour the labs and speak with staff to learn more about Carpentry Techniques, Welding Techniques, Electrical Techniques, Culinary, Gas Technician, and Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Georgian's state-of-the-art welding lab has 20 Lincoln programmable welding machines, allowing students to work with the latest of technology. This year, Welding Techniques students acquired more than 30 Canadian Welding Bureau certificates.
The carpentry lab provides students even greater opportunities to practise the skills they need to obtain employment in the construction industry. Many of Georgian's Carpentry Techniques students acquire apprenticeships after graduation.
"There is a different sort of dynamic in this part of the world," says Chef Anthony Bevan. "Many of our students make college decisions a little later in life, so events like this one create an opportunity for people to see our facilities first-hand in a fun and interactive day. They can get a sense of the programs and see what we have a lot to offer at our campus."
Bevan describes the campus atmosphere as very family-like.
"What we have here in terms of connection to our students is so important. Class sizes are small and we, as faculty, get to know everyone's name," he said.
Doors open at 9 a.m. and the event runs until 2 p.m. at 1450 8th St. E. in Owen Sound.
For more information on skilled trades at Georgian visit www.GeorgianCollege.ca.