Growing the Skilled Trades Sector

Growing the Skilled Trades Sector

A transformational gift is poised to make skilled trades careers more accessible.

Fanshawe College will soon be home to a new community hub for people looking to build a career in the skilled trades, thanks to a generous $2 million donation from the Crich family.

The Don Crich Skilled Trades Accelerator will be an entrance point for all members of the community to learn more about trades and share employment opportunities. The space is named for Don Crich, founder of Auburn Developments, TerraCorp Management, Auburn Homes and Stonerise Construction. He passed away in 2015.

“The opportunity to partner with Fanshawe College to celebrate my father’s legacy, while simultaneously creating a unique space to support trades education in our community, is extremely important to our family,” says Jamie Crich, president of Auburn Developments.

There is a critical demand in today’s labour market for people who are trained in skilled trades. The supply of workers is shrinking, and the number of jobs in the trades is expected to increase by 10 to 20 per cent over the next eight years.

The idea for the accelerator was sparked by Jamie’s sister, Karen, who was a member of the Fanshawe College Foundation Board of Directors. She saw the need for a go-to place in Southwestern Ontario for people who are interested in careers in skilled trades.

Karen passed away in 2021, and her vision continues to drive the development of this new space.

“Karen recognized it can be challenging for people who are interested in skilled trades to get started,” says Jamie. “Building this information hub under the Fanshawe brand was important to her; she saw community colleges as the link to helping people get into the trades.”

The Don Crich Skilled Trades Accelerator is expected to open in spring 2023.