Canada’s auto dealers transform Georgian College auto school with $250,000 donation
Feb. 10, 2015
The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), in collaboration with its provincial member associations, donated $250,000 to the Automotive Business School of Canada to transform the school’s lobby to look and feel like a modern, car dealership showroom. CADA President and CEO Rick Gauthier presented the cheque to the Georgian College Auto Show student directors. From left to right, Michael VanderHeyden, Katheryn AbouChakra, Rick Gauthier, Ashley Schneider, Matt Garwood and Michael Anderson.
Car shopping has changed a lot since the Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC) at Georgian College opened its doors 30 years ago. The advent of online shopping and mobile apps has introduced more sophisticated customers with new expectations.
That is why the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), in collaboration with its provincial member associations, wants to accelerate the car dealership learning experience for Georgian automotive students. It is donating $250,000 to transform the school’s lobby at the Barrie Campus into a space that mirrors a modern showroom.
“The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association and its provincial member associations from across the country have been working with the Automotive Business School of Canada since its inception to provide students with relevant learning experiences to prepare them to be workers, innovators and leaders in the automotive industry,” said Rick Gauthier, President and CEO of CADA.
“We are proud to continue this tradition and invest in our future workforce.”
ABSC Dean Marie-Noelle Bonicalzi says most, if not all, automotive students will benefit from this “living classroom”, as more than 60 per cent of them spend at least one co-op work term in a car dealership.
“We are very thankful to the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association and its provincial member associations for investing in a new showroom space on campus for our students to practise such techniques as a six-point walk-around as they learn to sell automotive products,” said Bonicalzi.
The group’s donation supports Georgian’s fundraising campaign, The Power of Education: Transforming the Student Experience.
Georgian College offers the only Bachelor of Business Automotive Management degree and Automotive Business diploma in Canada. Graduates of these unique programs secure great jobs in many sectors of the automotive industry including dealerships, aftermarket, finance and insurance, remarketing, corporate head office, fleet management, marketing and advertising, and event management.
Members of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association and its provincial member associations presented a donation of $250,000 to the Automotive Business School of Canada. Dean Marie-Noelle Bonicalzi and President and CEO MaryLynn West-Moynes accepted the cheque.