October 5, 2022 (Vancouver, BC) The Construction Foundation of BC (CFBC) is proud to announce that the BC Metal Manufacturing Advisory Group Fund (BCMMAG) has received a generous donation from Elliott-Matsuura Canada Inc. to support the group’s continuing efforts to raise awareness surrounding manufacturing trades in the province of BC.
More specifically, funds received from Elliot-Matsuura Canada Inc. will support BCMMAG’s efforts to raise awareness and accessibility of manufacturing trades through purchases of Desktop Mill machines and costs associated with the funding of certification courses that serve BC students and educators.
Established in 2016 and administered through the CFBC, the BCMMAG is comprised of industry leaders with a passion for manufacturing. Since the group’s inception, the BCMMAG has worked to spread awareness of the manufacturing sector to students and educators across the province of BC.
“About six months ago, I was having dinner with Udo Jahn of Modern Engineering and through our conversations, I realized that the BCMMAG was something that we would like to participate in,” said Vince D’Alessio, President of Elliot-Matsuura. “Developing skills and providing funding are key areas of manufacturing that are needed to help grow the industry and the BCMMAG is a key component in introducing future trades workers to that industry.”
Elliot-Matsuura’s history in Canadian manufacturing spans over 70 years. Operating out of Ontario, the Elliot team consists of over 85 employees who provide sales, service and engineering/manufacturing support to customers across Canada. D’Alessio himself has been involved with manufacturing for 41 years and recognizes the importance of establishing a connection with future workers at the high school level.
“The reason I made my career in manufacturing was a result of the exposure I had in the high school machine shop,” added D’Alessio. “It is important that we expose and educate young students in all career opportunities. Our schools tend to emphasize academic careers, not the skilled trades.
“Quite frankly, today’s manufacturing engineer, machinist or programmer require a college or university education. The path to becoming a professional in our industry is both challenging and rewarding. The majority of our Application Engineers started in the trade and advanced their careers through continuing education, training and work experience.”
Six years removed from the initial launch of the BCMMAG, the group has continued to make impressive strides. Elliot-Matsuura’s donation signals the team’s most recent success story. The donation will continue to aid in the efforts to outfit schools with new and cutting-edge machinery equipment while ensuring that educators who have access to this equipment are trained and knowledgeable about its uses.
About Elliot Matsuura
Since 1950, Elliott has been supplying quality machine tools for the Canadian metal cutting industry – coast to coast. Your business is unique and the issues you deal with every day are complex. That is why Elliott offers not only the best equipment in its class, but also a multitude of services and solutions, developed in over 70 years of working with the best run businesses in our industry. https://www.elliottmachinery.com
About BCMMAG
The British Columbia Metal Manufacturing Advisory Group (BCMMAG) is comprised of local leaders in manufacturing, machine tool distribution and education, who in partnership with the Construction Foundation of BC, are finding ways to inspire and educate students about CNC machining through initiatives in secondary schools. Our goals are to increase participation in the CNC machining trades and reduce the skills gap in manufacturing, BC’s 4th largest sector as a percentage of GDP. https://www.bcmmag.ca
About CFBC
We build community through our charitable initiatives and our commitment to industry-focused education and research that benefits all British Columbians. Since our inception, our fundraising campaigns have raised millions of dollars to outfit British Columbia’s shop classes with new equipment, provide driver training to youth in and from care, connect educators with professional development opportunities, award worthy young people with bursaries to continue their trades education, and provide much needed support to educational programs. https://www.constructionfoundation.ca
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