The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA) has joined the growing chorus of those objecting to Fleming College’s recent decision to cancel 29 programs.
On Monday (May 13), PKHBA president Jennifer Hurd and executive officer Rebecca Schillemat sent a letter to Fleming College board chair Don Gillespie and president Maureen Adamson expressing their “deep concern” about the impact of the program suspensions on the building industry in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes, and urging the college to reconsider the decision.
PKHBA, which represents over 115 member companies comprising builders, renovators, tradespeople, and industry professionals, states that over half of the suspended programs support the residential construction industry.
“PKHBA is appalled and concerned about this decision due to the repercussions of losing these programs,” the letter reads. “This decision will affect our community in many ways: teachers lose their jobs; students go further away to get their education and may not settle back in the Kawarthas; the industry must attract talent from outside our area; and our municipalities lose the economic benefits of a thriving college.”
PKHBA is especially concerned about the cancellation of the Heavy Equipment Techniques program. The organization says over 24,000 housing units are being planned in Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough over the next decade, all of which will need heavy equipment operators to move soils for both greenfield and infill developments.
“The Heavy Equipment Techniques program at Fleming College has been instrumental in launching countless graduates into successful careers within the field,” Hurd and Schillemat write. “Notably, it has served as a vital pathway for students from Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNC), Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB), and Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPR) to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for employment in the heavy equipment industry.”
“Suspending the Heavy Equipment Techniques program not only deprives current and prospective students of valuable educational opportunities but also creates a significant inconvenience for those who now must travel long distances to access similar training,” the letter reads.
“Given the pressing need for skilled workers in this specialty, the discontinuation of the program is both surprising and concerning.”
PKHBA has sent a copy of their letter to Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Premier Doug Ford, and Minister of College and Universities Jill Dunlop. The complete letter can be viewed below.
PDF: PKHBA Letter to Fleming College (May 13, 2024)
PDF: PKHBA Letter to Fleming College (May 13, 2024)
