College-Within-a-School Partnership

The Grand Erie District School Board and Conestoga College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning are excited to embark on a first-of-its-kind partnership in Ontario, a College-Within-a-School (CWAS) program. For many years, School-Within-a-College (SWAC) programs have been offered jointly by colleges and school boards to enhance learning and to provide opportunities for students. This partnership is a new take on the SWAC programming.

This new partnership will provide opportunities for Grand Erie and Conestoga students to receive their education in newly renovated facilities at Tollgate Technological Skills Centre (TTSC). This partnership will see the relocation of the programming from the Brantford Municipal Airport to TTSC in a unique arrangement in that the college will physically be housed within TTSC.

Conestoga College will renovate and use a portion of the TTSC site to deliver its programs. Grand Erie students will also have access to these spaces as well. Conestoga will invest $5 million in renovations, incorporating technology and resources to ensure a high-quality learning experience at TTSC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this partnership occurring at TTSC?

Grand Erie’s Long-Term Accommodation Plan, 2023-2028 (LTAP) adopted guiding principles that help the board assess potential accommodation changes. This partnership aligns with the principles of:

putting students first
supporting a range of programs in elementary and secondary schools
using space effectively and efficiently
considering partnership and community hub opportunities.

In reviewing space available within Grand Erie as published in their LTAP,

Conestoga College connected with Grand Erie to explore utilizing space at TTSC, which had the lowest utilization rate at the time (38%) of any secondary school within the Greater Brantford Region.

If current students are relocated to other sites for courses while renovations occur at TTSC, how will they get to/from the other sites?

Students enrolled in courses relocated to other sites during the renovations at TTSC will be bussed between the new learning sites and TTSC for the duration of the school year.

How do I know if my child will be impacted by the planned renovations at TTSC?

The families of all students relocated to other classes at TTSC or another school will be informed via personal communications.

How will the renovations at TTSC in preparation for Conestoga College programming affect current students?

For the beginning of semester two, three learning spaces will be turned over to Conestoga College to begin the renovation process. The classes associated with these spaces may relocated to other learning spaces within TTSC and this will be communicated to families.

When will Conestoga College begin offering programs at TTSC?

Conestoga will begin offering its first program in Electrical Techniques starting in September 2025.

Other offerings: Motive Power Fundamentals - Automotive Repair, Motive Power Technician - Automotive Service, Heavy Construction Equipment Operator and Day-Away Dual Credit Programming will begin in May 2026.

With access to increased space through this partnership, additional program offerings may be offered by Conestoga at the TTSC campus.

What are the benefits of this partnership for Grand Erie students?

Through this CWAS partnership, Grand Erie is aligning programs to meet student needs. Grand Erie students benefit in a variety of ways.

These include:

Access to updated, modern shop classrooms – the importance of which was highlighted by staff and students of TTSC in the Brantford Secondary Program Review
Availability of a wider range of college programming available within the city of Brantford, thus reducing the cost of post-secondary education
Exposure to a college campus without having to leave the secondary school
- Thus providing a smoother transition for students moving to a college program
- Increasing the ease of bridging student support for students as they transition from secondary school to college
Increased opportunities through the School College Work Initiative (SCWI), including:
- Day-Away Dual Credit opportunities for Grand Erie secondary students in modern shop classrooms without leaving the city of Brantford
- Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs to visit the college and interact with college faculty to explore post-secondary program options
- Participation in joint educational days between Grand Erie and Conestoga
- Potential Level One (1) apprenticeship in-class training to be offered to Grand Erie students participating in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (OYAP-FAST)

TTSC is not accepting Grade 9 students next year. Is this because of the Conestoga partnership?

The decision to have all Grade 9 students attend their designated home schools beginning next year is separate from the partnership with Conestoga College, as outlined in the information previously presented regarding the Grade 9 intake. The reasons for this decision are as follows:

To provide students with an opportunity to participate in de-streamed Grade 9 courses in their designated secondary schools.
To provide students with a breadth of course options and pathways available in schools with higher enrolment.
To provide students with course options that maximize their post-secondary opportunities.
To provide students with the opportunity to participate in co-curricular activities.