TORONTO – To enhance learning opportunities for students and provide greater capacity for strengthening Canada’s food and beverage sector, George Brown College has expanded its Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at 300 Adelaide St. E. in Toronto. The spaces include a dedicated Industry Research Demonstration Kitchen; a Large Quantity Bake Lab; a Beverage Lab and Large Quantity Culinary Lab.
The expansion was supported by a $7-million investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and matching George Brown College, donor and industry contributions.
As a result of these investments, students will work in modern learning and research spaces, specifically designed to support skills training and experiential learning. The new spaces will facilitate expansion of existing programs and the addition of new offerings. George Brown recently launched a four-year honours bachelor of commerce culinary management degree to prepare students for management positions in the food and beverage industry.
The multifunctional spaces will also help strengthen Canada’s food and beverage sector by providing industry professionals access to much-needed opportunities for product development, including company incubation and commercialization support.
“We are incredibly grateful to FedDev Ontario, as well as the countless generous donors who have invested in the future of our Centre,” said Lorraine Trotter, Dean, Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, George Brown College. “This expansion will allow the Centre to continue to enhance its excellent reputation for culinary teaching, while ensuring students receive career training in state-of-the-art facilities, so they’re ready to hit the ground running in the workplace.”
“Our government is proud to support skills training and real-world experience for students and businesses in the food and hospitality industry,” said the Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre. “This project is a great example of government and a post-secondary institution coming together to strengthen Canada’s valuable food and beverage industry to provide the tools for the next generation of culinary workers to thrive.”
The expansion was part of a multi-year revitalization project that saw the creation of an applied research and industry facility (completed in 2015), which included renovated space for George Brown’s student-run Chefs’ House restaurant, an Industry Engagement and Interaction Facility and a Beverage Research Lab.
About George Brown
College Toronto’s George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. The college offers programs from its three campuses located across the downtown core, and provides housing at its student residence, The George, which opened in Sept. 2016. George Brown offers 162 full-time programs and 194 continuing education certificates/designations across a wide variety of professions to a student body of nearly 29,000 (full-time enrolment) students, including 17 per cent international students; and over 67,000 continuing education registrants. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, apprenticeships and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Joyann Callender
Media Relations Manager
George Brown College
416-415-5000 ext. 3159
jcallender3@georgebrown.ca
