Centennial College is Ontario’s first community college, established in 1966, primarily serving the eastern portion the Greater Toronto Area through four campuses and six satellite locations. It has a record of exemplary teaching, innovative programming, and extensive partnership building. Centennial is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse post-secondary institutions in Canada. Over 100 ethno cultural groups are represented and 80 languages are spoken on campus.

Centennial is committed to both broad public access and successful career education. It offers more than 270 diploma, certificate, degree, and post-diploma programs on a full-time and continuing education basis in business, communications, media and design, health and community studies, engineering technology, and transportation. These career oriented programs emphasize practical experience with laboratory learning, placements, as well as co-op education. Students also prepare for college and university through the general arts and science program, and English language training. Centennial enrolled 12,000 full-time students and over 30,000 continuing education learners in 2005. Almost 1,100 business, industry, government, and labour leaders serve on individual program advisory committees, keeping programs responsive and relevant to the needs of the employment market. Since its inaugural convocation in 1967, Centennial has honoured more than 83,000 graduates.

Centennial College’s newest campus, The Centennial HP Science and Technology Centre, is home to many of the College’s health and community services programs and several engineering technology programs. A stunning architectural landmark in the east end of Toronto, this new campus blends the latest technologies with a “green” design that maximizes the use of natural light in teaching and learning spaces. The new centre is also home to five joint degrees held in cooperation with the University of Toronto at Scarborough. These innovative programs deliver a unique blend of the theory offered in a university education and the practical skills and learning at which Centennial has excelled.

Centennial is noted for business education, supported by numerous corporate partners. In 1997, the College established a call centre training facility, the first of its kind in Ontario. Building on its success, the School of Business launched the Centre for E-business and Network Technologies to orient students to business practices on the Internet and beyond.

The College also operates the nation’s largest transportation training facility with more than $30 million worth of aircraft vehicles and equipment on hand at Ashtonbee Campus. Highly innovative Modified Apprenticeship Programs (MAPs) were created with partners Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd., General Motors of Canada, Honda Canada Inc., Toyota Canada Inc., Canadian Tire, Freightliner, and Volvo Truck Canada. Students are educated on name brand technology in world class workshops and labs.

The Centre for Creative Communications in east Toronto is one of Canada’s best and most well respected interactive multimedia training facilities. This content driven, high tech campus represents a $45 million investment in technology, including $17 million from the private sector.