Sheridan Applauds Federal Budget's Investment in Innovation

Sheridan College applauds the Federal Government for supporting Canadian colleges in the 2010 Budget.

For Immediate Release: March 8, 2010
Oakville, Ontario

Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning applauds the Federal Government for supporting Canadian colleges in the 2010 Budget.  The continued investments in research and infrastructure demonstrate that the Federal government understands the important role colleges play in the Canadian economy.

"We welcome the Federal Government's renewed commitment to Canada's colleges in this budget," says Jeff Zabudsky, Sheridan's President and CEO.  "We have a direct and significant contribution to make in advancing Canada's innovation capacity, and this budget specifically supports our ongoing initiatives in applied research and commercialization."

Budget 2010 includes the following announcements:

•     Doubling the support for collaborative research projects between colleges and local companies;
•     Development of a digital economy strategy;
•     A review of federal funding for research and development to ensure commercialization success and economic development.

These measures, in addition to the government's continued investment in postsecondary infrastructure, will reinforce and strengthen the leading-edge research that is currently being done at many Canadian colleges, including Sheridan.

Sheridan has already benefited from the Federal Government's stimulus package with the development of a new campus in Mississauga which will initially create 1,760 new student spaces, including several hundred dedicated to the training and retraining of new Canadians and unemployed workers.

The college also looks forward to the articulation of a digital economy strategy, given its own focus and proven strengths in digital media.  "We pushed the boundaries with the development of the first ever glasses-free 3D game, which was showcased in Ontario House at the Vancouver Olympics," says Zabudsky.  The Sheridan IC3D game came about through a partnership with two Ontario companies - Spatial View and Research in Motion.

Sheridan's new Centre for Real-time Production, based at Pinewood Studios in Toronto, is another applied research initiative which will break new ground in the development of new technology and best practices across a broad range of digital media, from film to gaming to mobile.

About Sheridan:

The Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning aims to provide students of all ages with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world. We serve 16,000 full-time and 35,000 continuing education students at our campuses in Oakville and Brampton, with a new campus slated to open in Mississauga in 2011. Sheridan offers an innovative learning environment celebrated for academic excellence, applied research and creativity. Program options range from one-year certificates to four-year Bachelor’s degrees, in the arts, business, community service and technology fields. We prepare students for career success; 88 percent of graduates are employed within six months of graduation.