Signature Programs

Northern continues to build on our reputation as a world-class provider of specialty programs, leveraging the strengths of every campus and offering while responding to the educational and training needs of northern communities.

As we continue to invest in marquee programming that both characterizes our four campuses and defines the institution’s educational strengths, work is well under way to ensure these longstanding cornerstones continually evolve to respond to an ever-changing industrial sector and credentialing climate.

INSPIRING SPACES FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNING

Educational spaces should reflect what students are learning and the relevance of their chosen vocation. The electrical program area was refreshed to create a warm, inviting, and user-friendly space for students to gather, discuss projects, and compare notes.

Formerly known as ‘The Hydro One Energy Centre’ at the Timmins campus, this area houses the shared learning environments for the Electrical Apprenticeship and Electrical Engineering Signature Programs. As part of a larger effort to pivot the program identity and bring it in line with a more modern image of the Electrical Industry, a collaboration between the Marketing, Technology and Trades, and Plant and Property departments undertook a project in February 2020 to update the look and atmosphere of this campus wing. A focus on environmental sustainability and technological advancement has been incorporated into the program curriculum through content updates, and with the improvements to the physical space and lab environments, students feel they are in a modern program supported by modern facilities.

“I” IS FOR INNOVATE

The department of Applied Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation—along with many other departments including Plant and Property, and Technology and Learning Innovation— has been working diligently to create the new Innovation Hub. Located in the lower F-wing of the Timmins campus and, with Board approval, soon to be renamed the I wing, the hub encompasses over 23,000 square feet of shops, labs, and classrooms. Primarily used for research and development, industry partnerships, student experiential learning, and technology development and adaptation, the project has been in the works since 2018 and is slated for completion by December 2020. The repurposing of this wing will allow students to learn with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, all while working alongside industry partners to better prepare them for their future careers.

With the support of industry partners, including our major corporate donor Kirkland Lake Gold, the Innovation Hub is expanding its focus on mining technology and process improvement research with the creation of a mining-centric, multi-purpose facility. The college has invested in the support and renovation of new laboratory spaces, including a new Prototyping Lab, Virtual Reality lab, Alternative Energy Lab, Advanced Manufacturing Lab, Mining Exploration shop, as well as improvements to support spaces.

VETERINARY SCIENCES: HAILEYBURY CAMPUS RENEWAL AND EXPANSION

With initial planning under way this past year for improvements to the Haileybury campus, the Veterinary Technician program offerings at Northern will see an expanded and newly renovated building. Concept drawings were developed in 2019 to expand and improve both physical lab spaces and teaching areas for an enhanced learning experience.

The programs offered here, such as Wildlife Rehabilitation and Companion Animal Rehabilitation, are the only two of their kind in the country and meet a critical need in supporting the wildlife and companion animals that make our world richer. Institutional distinctiveness in these as well as other programming is further outlined in the College’s Strategic Mandate Agreement with the Province of Ontario and demonstrates the College’s widespread and lasting impact on the region.

The conceptual plans developed for the Haileybury campus expansion have involved the input of staff, faculty, and the students who will be using the space. With these plans, the College can better accommodate high-tech programs in the state-of-the-art surroundings required for the excellence modelled here. With the majority of students coming from out of the region to attend this program, remaining competitive in this field will continue to position the College as an educator of choice. Always eager for shovel-worthy, shovel-ready projects, renewing the Haileybury campus will benefit the community as well as the College.