College of New Caledonia's Automotive Program Receives Donation from Ford of Canada and Prince George Ford
Ford of Canada and Prince George Ford have donated a 2020 Ford F-150 and a 2020 Ford Expedition to the College of New Caledonia (CNC) to be used in its automotive service training program. The donation will take place at the John Brink building at CNC’s Prince George campus.
“We’re grateful to Ford for its continued support of CNC’s automotive program and students,” said CNC President Dr. Dennis Johnson. “This donation provides CNC students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the latest vehicles in the rapidly-evolving automotive industry. Providing the best educational experience on the latest equipment is part of our goal to ensure students are job and career ready.”
The donation is part of a nation-wide initiative in which Ford of Canada is donating a total of 95 vehicles to educational institutions across the country. These vehicles were damaged due to flooding last year and have been deemed irreparable and unable to be safely driven again. As such, Ford of Canada saw an opportunity to bring the latest in-vehicle technology to some of Canada's top automotive programs. Prince George Ford has cleaned and detailed the vehicle to prepare it for this donation that will provide a hands-on learning experience for the students.
"Prince George Ford is ecstatic to be a part of this donation,” said Chris Wall, General Manager of Prince George Ford. “We want to do all we can to ensure the continued training of our tradespeople. We look forward to our continued working relationship with CNC and appreciate their training programs for our technicians."
In addition to the two vehicles, Ford of Canada is also providing students and faculty in the automotive service training program with access to their online Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) training. A partnership program between Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ford dealerships, and post-secondary institutions, the ACE program aims to raise awareness and increase interest in career opportunities within the automotive industry.
Courses include everything from basic vehicle system fundamentals to some of the most current and detailed vehicle systems training like electrical, Powertrain, air conditioning, and more. These courses are the same as those current Ford technicians complete to receive specialty training in dealerships.