The Canadian Welding Association Foundation (CWA Foundation) today (February 5, 2015) presented nine Welding Engineering Technician students from College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Burin campus in Newfoundland and Labrador with $2,500 each through the CWA Foundation’s annual Post-Secondary Awards Program.
“This awards program is designed to assist post-secondary students who are pursuing a career in the welding profession with financial support so they can realize their dreams,” said Deborah Mates, Executive Director of the CWA Foundation. “The Welding Engineering Technician students from CNA’s Burin campus were very appreciative to receive the assistance, and it was a pleasure to be on-hand and personally present them with their awards. They are going to enter a profession that touches every aspect of our daily lives, and I wish them the best as they start a new chapter in their lives. It’s a pleasure to work with CNA on this initiative and I look forward to growing this relationship.”
Founded in 2014, both the CWA Foundation Secondary and Post-Secondary Awards Programs were created for the purpose of promoting and encouraging students in pursuit of post-secondary education in welding. Each successful student will receive $2,000-$2,500 in financial support to help offset the cost of their studies. The number of students and amount awarded will be dependent on the number of applications received. To find out more about the Awards program, visit www.cwa-foundation.org
“By offering this support, the Canadian Welding Association Foundation has reinforced its commitment to both College of the North Atlantic and our students. A cornerstone for CNA is educational access and today’s support eases the burden of financing an education, and in some cases makes an education possible,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, CNA’s President and CEO. “I want to extend our sincerest appreciation for this contribution to students of College of the North Atlantic.”
In Canada, welding is a high-demand profession, one that is critical for the success of many major development projects across the country. The welding industry contributes over $5 billion to the Canadian economy and employs over 300,000 individuals. However, Canada faces a shortage of highly trained welders, with the average age of employees in the workforce nearing 60.
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About the CWA Foundation
The Foundation’s key mandates are to support public safety awareness, and to address the skilled welding labour shortage in Canada. It will also focus on creating access to educational opportunities for all levels of education from elementary through to post- secondary, as well as aboriginal peoples, women, those with disabilities and visible minorities.
Media Contacts:
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca
Billy Canning
Public Relations Officer
CWB Group
(289) 893-0240
billy.canning@cwbgroup.org