Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has announced a major donation of CAN$4 million over two years to the Cégep de Sept-Îles in Quebec, Canada for the construction of its new pavilion for training, research and innovation in the railway, industrial maintenance and energy intelligence industries.

The initiative is part of a long-standing collaboration between IOC and the local college, notably through the RAIL Centre of Expertise, which IOC supported in 2021 with an investment of CAN$750,000 and the donation of equipment for student training.

The new partnership aims to strengthen Sept-Îles’ position as a centre of excellence for specialised training in the railway and Industry 4.0 sectors. Another important goal is to increase the visibility and promotion of these training programmes in local Indigenous communities. To this end, a special cohort of IOC students will be formed to provide participants with employment opportunities immediately after graduation, fostering the full inclusion of all the region’s talent.

IOC President and Chief Executive Officer Mike McCann said: “Since the 1950s, Rio Tinto IOC has been firmly rooted in the Sept-Îles community, and several generations of IOC employees have been trained at the Cégep de Sept-Îles. We are delighted to support this leading educational institution offering specialised training programmes on Quebec’s North Shore, and thereby foster the development of a highly qualified local workforce. Our aim is to keep contributing to the creation of quality jobs in sectors with bright futures and to the economic development of the region”.

Cégep de Sept-Îles Director General David Beaudin added: “The Cégep de Sept-Îles is a dynamic and ambitious institution characterised by our efforts to offer quality higher education while playing a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development of our region. We are particularly passionate about forging meaningful, forward-looking partnerships with local businesses. Today marks a great day for the Cégep and our research units, as Rio Tinto IOC announces its largest contribution ever to an institution in our community. For 70 years, IOC has helped shape our city, and today, by choosing to invest in innovation and the knowledge-based economy, it is upholding that immense legacy and demonstrating its confidence in the bright future of Sept-Îles”.

Kateri Champagne Jourdain, Minister of Employment and Minister Responsible for Quebec’s North Shore Region, said: "This new pavilion, to which our government has also contributed financially, is a valuable asset for the economic diversification of Quebec’s North Shore. It will accelerate research and innovation in promising sectors for the province of Quebec. I'd like to highlight the financial participation of Rio Tinto IOC, which once again demonstrates its commitment to our beautiful and vast region. It also reinforces the Cégep de Sept-Îles as a true centre of excellence, particularly for specialised training in the rail industry."

IOC operates the QNS&L Railway, a 418-kilometre rail line that transports the high-grade iron ore concentrate and pellets produced at its facilities in Labrador City to its port terminal in Sept-Îles, Canada. The QNS&L Railway alone employs roughly 450 people on the North Shore and in Labrador.

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