‘Mystery company’ setting up manufacturing operations still a secret
Welland – WELLAND – Keeping skilled youth in Welland is vital, says Dan Degazio.
That’s why the city’s economic development manager is excited that unemployed people between the ages of 15 and 30 will have an opportunity to work with the new solar panel manufacturing plant coming to Welland.
Some people believed a Thursday afternoon news conference at Welland Civic Square was called to announce the name of the company to set up shop along the Hwys. 406/140 corridor.
But instead of the long-awaited announcement about what company is setting up shop and how many people it will employ, Degazio focused on the city’s youth Thursday, pointing out that the Job Gym has created a program that enables young people to get into green-collar jobs, such as solar equipment manufacturing.
“The retention of youth in our community is important,” Degazio told The Tribune.
“The college is actually putting a lot of resources and a lot of effort behind the course at Niagara College in green energy. What better way to retain our youth than to train them in an alternative energy work that appeals to them.
“But we’re not really just appealing to youth, we’re appealing to the general public. Welland’s lost a lot of jobs over a number of years, so we’re trying to create employment opportunities throughout this process.”
Deanna Villella of the Job Gym said there are currently 12 people in the federally funded program called SHINE. Students go through a three-week employability training course while getting paid minimum wage, and then they head to Niagara College for a solar installation training course, followed by an 18-week work placement, most of which will be at the “mystery company.”
“The goal is that they stay on after the placement and they keep working,” she said.
“Many of the youth that are coming out of the SHINE program will be hired through the company to work in Welland for solar manufacturing.”
Degazio said there will be more news on that next Thursday.
“We’ll have the press conference announcing the new company Feb. 24. They’re actually going to start hiring within the next week to two,” Degazio said.
He said he’s not sure how many workers they company will hire, but said it’s “pretty significant,” then later saying it would be less than 100.
Also at the press conference was Robert Barkley, the manager of project development with Axio Power, which is a solar company that is building a 10-megawatt AC plant. Construction on roughly 40 hectares of Welland land east of the canal will begin in 2012. Currently, the company is conducting an environmental permitting study.
Degazio said Axio Power will be buying product from the manufacturer coming to Welland.
By JOHN VESSOYAN
jvessoyan@wellandtribune.ca
Robert Barkley, manager of project development at Axio Power, speaks during a news conference at Welland Civic Square on Thursday. There will be another news conference next Thursday to announce the name of a new solar manufacturing plant coming to Welland.
