CALGARY - Nissan Canada Inc. and local Nissan and Infinitidealers today donated $200,000 to assist the Southern Alberta Institute ofTechnology (SAIT) in building a state-of-the-art automotive techniciantraining centre.
SAIT President and CEO Irene Lewis accepted a cheque from John Kalsbeek,Nissan Canada's Director of Quality Assurance and Customer Services andLawrence Bates, President of Stadium Nissan in Calgary.
The donation will be used to help complete the Clayton Carroll AutomotiveCentre. Designed to help alleviate a critical shortage of automotivetechnicians all across Canada, the Clayton Carroll Automotive Centre will bean ideal training facility for dealers and service companies across westernCanada.
"The generosity from Nissan Canada and the Calgary Nissan and InfinitiDealers puts students, instructors and industry one step closer to utilizing atraining centre designed to meet the needs of a rapidly changing andtechnically based automotive industry," said Irene Lewis, President and CEO ofSAIT. "Their generosity is strong testimony to the value Nissan places oncontinuous education and skills upgrading."
Kalsbeek, who was an auto technician himself before joining NissanCanada's executive team 32 years ago, said, "Today, technology and skillsdevelopment are progressing more rapidly and in line with the transportationneeds and expectations of modern society, be it safety, environmental,performance or entertainment."