Are you thinking of going to Conestoga College? You’re in the right place! Dominating college education in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, Conestoga College is a quickly growing institution. With more than 300 skill and career-focused programs spanning one to four years, Conestoga graduates are ready to start their journey in the workplace. There’s so much more we want to tell you, so read along as we break down the top 5 things you should know about Conestoga College.
1. IT’S MORE THAN HALF A DECADE OLD…BUT IT’S NOT SLOWING DOWN
Conestoga College was first established in 1967 by the Government of Ontario as Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology. Since then, it has continued to expand its campuses and add to its programs, creating a skillful community of students (and changing its name). Today, the college supports approximately 23,000 students, many of whom are international, coming from over 80 countries. As a leader in polytechnic education, Conestoga College plays a massive role in the success of the region’s population. In fact, 65% of graduates remain in the area and therefore contribute $2.3B + to the local economy. The college has gained such a prestigious reputation and contributed so much to its community that more than half of adults in the Waterloo region have received training at Conestoga College. And the numbers are only getting higher.
2. CONESTOGA COLLEGE IS A LEADER IN RESEARCH, MANUFACTURING AND TRADES
Conestoga has quickly gained a reputation in the fields of research, manufacturing, technology, trades and apprenticeships, and for good reason. With relationships with many local and national companies, graduates can be confident that they will find a job in their field. Small class sizes, hands-on learning and project-based education give students the best experience in preparation for the workplace. In fact, Conestoga houses Ontario’s largest apprenticeship school. Additionally, the college is home to three extensive research centres. The Smart Manufacturing and Advanced Recycling Technologies (SMART) Centre, the Magna Centre for Supply Chain Excellence (MCSCE) and the Craig Richardson Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT) house state-of-the-art technology and faculty expertise to make place for student innovation and excellence.
3. CONESTOGA OFFERS CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION
Conestoga College offers 70 co-op programs in various programs and fields. All of the college’s degree programs, along with many diploma and certificate programs offer co-op. And with mandatory and optional co-op placements depending on the program, you’ll be customizing your own credential to suit your goals. Click here to learn more about Conestoga’s co-op programs.
4. CONESTOGA COLLEGE HAS 9 CAMPUSES
Conestoga College has 11 campuses throughout southern Ontario, each offering unique programs and student experience. Let’s start with the two newest:
Opened in fall 2022, Conestoga’s Skilled Trades Campus is dedicated to apprenticeship and post-secondary programs in the industrial/manufacturing and construction trades. This campus includes a 322,000 sq ft building with plenty of shops and labs for whatever your trade.
Conestoga’s new Milton campus will be opening in 2024 and will be home to 2,000 full-time students in areas like justice services, project management, mobile solutions and more. There will also be continuing education programs and corporate training for the local community’s needs.
- Brantford campus for trades, community services, liberal studies and business.
- Cambridge- Downtown campus for continuing education opportunities, LINC classes (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) and other career-focused programs.
- Cambridge – Fountain Street campus for the school of Engineering and some programs from the school of trades and apprenticeship. This campus also houses the Institute of Food Processing Technology.
- Guelph campus for the motive power trades, including motorcycles, automotive and more.
- Ingersoll campus for skilled trades and power-related programs. This centre is the only facility in southern Ontario to provide such training.
- Kitchener- Doon campus for many full-time and part-time programs. This campus is the college’s first and largest campus, and thus includes all administrative offices and other management duties.
- Kitchener- Downtown campus for business programming. This campus currently only houses 1,000 students.
- Stratford campus for continuing education and academic upgrading. This campus is also home to a career centre that facilitates job search and offers career advising.
- Waterloo campus for a multitude of programs and training like hospitality and culinary arts, skilled trades, English language studies, informations and communications technology and more.
5. SEVERAL NOTABLE ALUMNI HAVE GRADUATED FROM CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Because of its incredibly vast programs and wide array of extensive training, Conestoga has drastically contributed to the success of its graduates and community. Many graduates have left Conestoga only to start a lifetime of success, career discovery and accomplishments.
Casie Stewart is a great example of this. After graduating from Conestoga’s Business Administration-Marketing program in 2003, she began her lifestyle blog ‘This is my life’. Since then, she has grown her online presence and has become a social media pioneer and content creator. She is an ambassador for major brands such as Pepsi, Telus, Ford, TD and more.
Dustin Leitch also found massive success after graduating from an Automotive Service Technician Apprenticeship in 2007. Prior to his credential, Dustin had started working with Guelph Toyota and in 2009, Dustin became a Toyota Master Technician. In 2010, Dustin joined Tesla Inc. as a mobile technician and in 2011, he was sent to Hong Kong to manage one of Tesla’s first appearances in Asia. He was then promoted and helped expand the company internationally. In 2016, he moved back to Canada and currently works at a local Tesla office.
Casie and Dustin are only a few of the people Conestoga has affected. Other alumni include Will Ferguson, Brenda Halloran, Brenda Irving, Vic Fedeli and Barry Greenwald.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Do you feel more knowledgeable about Conestoga College now? Does it sound like it’s the right place for you? Well, one thing’s for sure, you’ll be in a community of students all striving to learn and contribute to their communities and economies. Once a Conestoga Condor, always a Condor!
