Siemens Canada Ltd. and the University of Waterloo will partner on a new youth training and skills development initiative to expand Canada’s capacity and research excellence in sustainable green technologies and advanced manufacturing.
The partnership will address the challenges facing the global economy including digital manufacturing and the drive for sustainable economies – challenges to which Siemens’ expertise and product portfolio are ideally and uniquely suited.
“We already enjoy a number of strong partnerships with Siemens and we are delighted to expand our relationship with them to explore solutions for some of the challenges facing the world’s economy and environment,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor at Waterloo. “Siemens has a very strong environmental portfolio and our students will benefit greatly from this new partnership.”
Representatives from Siemens visited Waterloo’s campus to sign a memorandum of understanding that lays out how the company and the university can assist one another.
"The partnership creates a culture of continuous learning,” said Robert Hardt, president and CEO of Siemens Canada. “Siemens and the University of Waterloo are jointly dedicated to fostering education and innovation with a particular focus on renewable energy and industrial productivity.”
The partnership will offer selected second-year Mechatronics Engineering students paid tuition while they complete their degree, as well as immersive co-op experiences and full-time employment.
“This is a unique pathway for global work experience in a leading international technology company. It will positively impact Canada’s competitive advantage,” said Pearl Sullivan, dean of the Faculty of Engineering.
Siemens is a major employer in Canada that provides highly skilled jobs in four major sectors: industry, energy, healthcare, and infrastructure and cities.
