18 October 2016

PRESS RELEASE – Over the past two days, the third edition of the Industry Open House (Portes ouvertes sur l’industrie) was a glowing success, with 3864 people visiting 18 manufacturing businesses in Sherbrooke, nearly 30% more visitors than last year’s event. Created and organized by Sherbrooke Innopole in collaboration with several partners, the event enabled students, job seekers, and the general public to visit innovative businesses, and to discover amazing products and exciting trades.

Free guided tours were offered at AFT (Aikawa Fiber Technologies), Aliments Jardi, Animat, Artopex, Ball Advanced Aluminum Technologies, Calimacil, Cuisine Idéale, Défi Polyteck, Englobe, G.E. Gilbert, FSM Canada, Milan Conception, NAD Klima, Sherbrooke OEM, SIB Electric, Supermétal, TLD Canada, and Verbom, in the Regional Industrial Park, St-Élie Industrial Zone, downtown Sherbrooke, and Lennoxville areas.

There was a record turnout on Friday, with more than 700 visitors from 35 programs and educational institutions in Sherbrooke—public and private high schools, vocational centres, and colleges— as well as organizations specializing in employability.

Sherbrooke residents took part on Saturday, visiting the two participating industrial parks/zones. With more than 100 job opportunities posted at participating companies, many job seekers seized the opportunity to submit an application.

Josée Fortin, Sherbrooke Innopole’s Director General, was thrilled with the growing enthusiasm for the Industry Open House: “The third edition saw greater attendance from both the general public and school groups, much to the delight of participating companies! In addition to showcasing their expertise and work environments, they collected numerous resumes that will surely lead to hiring in the coming weeks. We are pleased to support our manufacturing businesses in their searches for skilled workers, while also addressing the issue of matching vocational training to employment opportunities in the longer term.”

For Marie-Eve Poliquin, Sherbrooke Innopole’s Director of Communications, the Open House’s recipe for success relies on the close interactions that are made possible by the small group tours: “The Open House magic happens on the factory floor, through interactions with the employees who proudly and passionately explain their trade and the results of their work. This makes the entire Sherbrooke manufacturing sector shine. I would like to thank and congratulate the managers and employees at the 18 participating companies for their invaluable involvement! Thank you also to our partners, who are essential to organizing and hosting this large-scale event!”