Feasibility Study for a New Tecumseth Skilled-Trades Centre
Asked by Melissa Marshall · 2 months ago
The 2026 Approved Budget directs Growth and Innovation to undertake a feasibility study for a post-secondary skilled-trades centre in New Tecumseth. It appears as a single line, with no supporting rationale, cost estimate or business case. (Page 79)
Relevant context:
Ontario colleges have cut approximately 600 programs amid $1.8B in losses since the 2024 international student visa cap.
New Tecumseth is within Georgian College’s catchment area. Georgian closed its Orillia and Muskoka campuses in August 2026, consolidating programming in Barrie, and has reduced its full-time workforce by approximately 22% with projected losses of 45M and 15-25M next fiscal.
Honda’s $15B Alliston EV expansion is permanently suspended, removing a major source of projected local skilled-trades demand.
Meanwhile, The Province’s Regional Technology Development Site for Simcoe County, Barrie and Orillia is already funded and includes Georgian College, Lakehead University and Honda. New Tecumseth is not currently part of that initiative.
For each candidate:
Do you support proceeding with this feasibility study? Why or why not?
Why pursue a separate facility rather than seek a role in the regional initiative already underway? As home to the region’s anchor automotive employer, should New Tecumseth be pursuing a seat in the existing RTDS network instead, and would you support that approach?
Jaison Waldman's answer
Pecuniary Intrest Disclosure: I have been a student at Georgian College and others.
In my unqualified opinion the plan is flawed unless the institution also evolves. The training delivery was geared more towards the easy money from international students. If we're to make any meaningful progress then what we teach has to be relevant to the jobs and skills needed tomorrow. Any existing trades should already be taught in high school.
Our automotive sector is the anchor today, but the leaders are trying to keep it afloat until they can retire. It is a similar reality with some of the senior lecturers in college.
As someone in Industrial Automation it is clear to me that we need urgent innovation. The POWER OF DREAMS has to be restored. New ideas are imperative.
