Member Feature: Centennial College
- 15 hours ago
- 2 min read
About Centennial College
Centennial College is a leader in applied education and skilled trades training, supplying critical talent across Canada’s nuclear supply chain. With a strong focus on workforce integration and hands-on skills delivery, the College prepares graduates for key roles in reactor refurbishment, Small Modular Reactor (SMR) construction, and plant operations.
Each year, hundreds of students complete diploma and apprenticeship pathways in electrical, mechanical, automation, HVAC, welding, and machining. These programs are developed with direct employer input and are continuously updated to reflect advancements in automation, safety protocols, and regulatory requirements.
Training takes place in industry-grade facilities at Centennial’s advanced manufacturing campuses in Toronto. Students gain practical experience in robotics, industrial networking, metrology, and safety-critical control systems. The College’s Advanced Electrical Automation Lab integrates programmable logic controllers (PLCs), industrial networking, and technologies widely used in real-world energy infrastructure projects.
Centennial’s expertise also includes fluid power and industrial automation, providing graduates with strong foundations in hydraulics and pneumatics essential to heavy industry. Cutting-edge robotics training, including collaborative arms and autonomous inspection platforms, equips students with skills increasingly relevant to remote monitoring in high-radiation and confined environments.
Partnership is central to Centennial’s model. Two-way collaboration with technology suppliers and plant operators ensures students train on the tools and systems currently deployed across factory floors and energy sites. Industry partners contribute directly to curriculum design and lab development, aligning academic instruction with live production challenges.
A strong example of this approach is Centennial’s collaboration with Terrestrial Energy Inc., developer of the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR). Selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy for its Fuel Line Pilot Program, Terrestrial Energy represents a milestone in advancing next-generation nuclear innovation. Centennial co-op students have contributed directly to proprietary reactor simulation software development, demonstrating tangible industry impact.
In addition, Centennial’s Applied Research department is advancing AR/VR-based nuclear training solutions to enhance accident readiness and response preparedness. Through its integrated approach to applied training, industry collaboration, and research innovation, Centennial College strengthens Canada’s nuclear workforce ecosystem and contributes to international dialogue on nuclear capacity building, including across the Canada–ASEAN corridor.
