Georgian, Canadian Automobile Dealers Association and provincial membership associations celebrate grand opening of Federation Hall

June 3, 2016

Thirty-one years ago, Georgian College opened the Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC) with strong support from the automotive industry and the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and its provincial member associations. Georgian, CADA and the associations solidified the college’s stronghold in postsecondary automotive education with the grand opening of Federation Hall in the ABSC lobby at the Barrie Campus June 3.

CADA, in collaboration with its provincial member associations, made a $250,000 donation last year to transform the ABSC lobby into a replica of a modern car dealership so that Georgian students could learn in an industry-relevant space. It also features an interactive SMART board that showcases the history of the automotive industry and jobs available in automotive dealerships, and automotive-related news and information about various brands and CADA provincial member associations.

ABSC student Binay Batra says he was drawn to Georgian from his hometown of Sri Muktsar Sahib, India, for the strong partnerships the college has with the automotive industry and the opportunity to network with industry leaders.

“The donation by the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association and its provincial member associations really shows how much they care about Georgian automotive students,” he says. “It also draws attention to the huge potential there is for automotive students after they graduate, and even before that, since many of the associations employ us as co-op students during work terms.”

Georgian’s automotive industry partners comprise a significant number among the college’s more than 6,200 employer connections.

Marie-Noëlle Bonicalzi, Dean of the ABSC, says that CADA and its provincial member associations have also made an indelible impact on Georgian’s automotive curriculum and has helped drive the launch of Georgian’s automotive programs to ensure their continued relevance.

“There’s not a single province in Canada that doesn’t have a Georgian Automotive Business School of Canada graduate working in them,” says Bonicalzi. “This is a true testament to the potency of the school itself, the calibre of our students and alumni, and the industry partnerships that help strengthen both; in particular, the college’s allegiance with the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association and its provincial member associations.”

Bonicalzi adds that most, if not all, Georgian automotive students will benefit from this “living classroom”, since more than 60 per cent of them spend at least one co-op work term in a car dealership.

“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,” says Richard Gauthier, President and CEO of CADA. “We are proud to continue this tradition and invest in our future workforce.”

The donation was made in support of Georgian’s fundraising campaign, The Power of Education: Transforming the Student Experience.

Georgian offers the only Honours Bachelor of Business Administration – 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 offices, fleet management, marketing and advertising, and event management.