New Gerald Marshall Transportation Centre will expand training opportunities on the Mountain

More students will get the job skills they need to succeed at a new center on the Mountain.

The Gerald Marshall Transportation Centre at Mohawk College will house new equipment, labs and a shop able to accommodate up to three full-sized tractor trailers. Students will train for careers as auto mechanics, truck and coach technicians, and servicers.

The building's official opening is slated for September 2009 and is funded by a $9.2 million investment from the provincial government.

"This investment is great news for our community - it will create jobs in the short-term and help students develop the skills they need to succeed in the future," said Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP Hamilton Mountain.

The centre is part of a larger renovation project that will transform Mohawk's Stoney Creek campus into a major center for skilled trades training and apprenticeships.

Once complete, the new space will allow Mohawk to increase enrollment in skilled trades programs to 870 a year. It will also grow apprenticeship opportunities in the region by 35 per cent - or more than 3,500 students a year, according to the province.