Herzing College Announces Major Acquisition

Herzing College has announced the acquisition of the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute.

Herzing College announced today that it has acquired the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute (PAT Institute), a move approved by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

The PAT Institute provides training for skilled trades in the construction industry, including electricians, plumbers, HVAC engineers, maintenance workers and network cabling technicians. Its two locations in Toronto and Cambridge each feature a two-story mock building inside that provides students with realistic hands-on training.

“We are proud to welcome the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute into the Herzing Educational System and we feel they will be a great fit due to their alignment with our career-focused, convenient and caring culture,” said Renée Herzing, president of the Herzing Educational System.

“The PAT Institute is a leader in quality and innovation in training professionals in the skilled construction trades, and we are excited to work with them to help reduce the chronic shortage of skilled tradesmen in Canada and provide great career opportunities to our students.”

The acquisition comes at a most opportune time. BuildForce Canada recently projected that the construction industry will need an estimated 250,000 new workers in the next seven years – a need that Herzing is now more than ready to fill.

Herzing has named Emidio D’Alfonso as the new Campus Director for the PAT Institute. D’Alfonso served as Academic Dean of Herzing College – Toronto since 2007.

“I am looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead in helping to meet the huge demand for skilled trade workers in Ontario,” said D’Alfonso. “Given the PAT Institute’s great reputation in the industry for providing high quality, skilled trades training, I expect that we will be able to expand our services and make an even bigger impact in the future for both our graduates and the companies they work for in the future.”

Rui Cunha, Director of Operations for the PAT Institute, expressed his excitement over the acquisition.

“I am extremely proud to be part of such a reputable organization,” said Cunha, “and I’m excited for the PAT Institute to become the Construction and Skilled Trades division of Herzing College.”

The acquisition of the PAT institute adds two more campus locations to Herzing College’s existing four in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg.