PARTNER PROFILE BARRETT CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2019
HUMBER AND CISCO CANADA TO ENHANCE TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN EDUCATION Cisco’s partnership with Humber will engage students, faculty and companies to enhance the opportunities presented by cyber, network communication and collaborative digital technologies. “Cisco is committed to enhancing the educational experience for students and instructors, in order to help ensure students have the skills to meet an increasingly demanding and evolving IT landscape,” said Rola Dagher, president, Cisco Canada.
Humber staff pictured with members and friends of the Barrett Family Foundation inside the nearly-completed Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation.
Humber College receives $10-million from The Barrett Family Foundation
Cisco will provide more than $4-million of equipment and infrastructure to help build and support Humber’s applied research network and activities. Collaborative audio-visual systems using Cisco Webex Teams technology will be installed throughout the Barrett CTI. Inside the facility, space will be allocated for the Cisco Digital Transformation Zone to showcase cutting edge technology.
The Barrett Family Foundation has invested $10-million in support of the Barrett Centre for
Tom Matrakoukas, Cisco’s Regional Director for Higher Education, says the company sees value in bringing some of their technologies to the Barrett CTI to help drive innovation in Canada. These opportunities will assist small and medium-sized enterprises with the integration of automation and data exchange into manufacturing technologies.
The Barrett Family Foundation initially invested $5-million in Humber in 2016 and recently
Technology Innovation (Barrett CTI) making it the largest donation in Humber history. The Foundation, established in 2013 by Bob and Francine Barrett, supports educational, environmental and humanitarian causes, as well as health and the arts. “We believe education is critical to the development of all individuals and we want to help people gain the skills to get and retain a good job,” says Bob Barrett, Founder, The Barrett Family Foundation and president and CEO of Polytainers.
made an additional contribution of $5-million. This investment will go towards increased access to education in technology fields. It will also enhance students’ experiential learning through equipment and technology in the Barrett CTI, student scholarships, project-based grants, skills training and competition support.
ARTICLE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
PROFILE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE humber.ca/cti
PARTNER PROFILE - CONTINUED ARTICLE CONTINUED “We support Humber because of the college’s commitment to student success and career-oriented learning, and we believe it is the best place for forward-thinking skills development, especially in technology. With a focus on polytechnic education, we are confident that the college is preparing students extremely well for the rapidly changing workforce,” says Barrett. Scheduled to open in April 2019, the Barrett CTI is dedicated to innovation, skills development, applied research and project-based, collaborative learning. The 93,000-square-foot facility will house digital activity and media zones; interactive demonstration areas; flexible, open-concept gathering spaces; prototyping labs; makerspaces and applied research and development areas.
“The most exciting thing about working with Humber is the energy and creativity that the college can bring to Cisco and to the ecosystem of partners we hope to develop,” says Matrakoukas. “This is a great opportunity to develop the next generation workforce that has the skills, critical thinking and abilities we - and ultimately our customers - need to be successful in the future.” Cisco will also provide internships and post-graduation employment opportunities for Humber students and corporate training opportunities. In addition, Cisco has contributed $50,000 towards student scholarships.
The Barrett CTI will also be equipped with advanced industry-leading technology that companies can work on with students, faculty and industry experts. They will work together to solve business and innovation challenges while building on Humber’s expertise in automation and robotics, systems integration, advanced manufacturing and design, and user experience testing. “We are grateful to the Barrett Family Foundation for helping to provide more opportunities for students to gain the progressive technical skills they need to succeed in the skills economy and helping to strengthen Humber’s reputation as a global leader in polytechnic education,” says Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College.
Rola Dagher, president, Cisco Canada, and Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College.
Construction and equipment funding for the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation has been provided by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, The Barrett Family Foundation, industry partners and Humber College. For more information about the project, visit the Barrett CTI website.
DID YOU KNOW?
Humber signed a partnership agreement with SICK Sensor Intelligence on December 17, 2018, making it the eighth organization to join Humber’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Consortium. Read more here.
Humber looks at ways to promote innovations within digital learning and digital campus spaces at the Cisco Toronto Innovation Centre Education Showcase.