A group of people smile as they stand in front of a white screen that has the Humber College logo on it.

Following a decade of giving to Humber College, the BOLT Charitable Foundation continues to strengthen its commitment to students by providing funding for four annual scholarships.

The BOLT Foundation helps under-resourced youth aged 17 to 29 in the GTA access education, training, and employment opportunities in the construction industry. BOLT creates awareness about careers in construction, offers immersive career exploration opportunities, provides financial support for post-secondary and skilled training programs, and fosters community and industry partnerships to provide the supports necessary for success. Tridel is BOLT’s principal and founding sponsor.

Humber hosted an event with BOLT on September 29 in the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation to acknowledge the generosity of the foundation over the past 10 years, and to present a Medal of Gratitude to commemorate the long-standing commitment to the College.  

It was also a special occasion as BOLT announced plans to continue funding scholarships, which is good news for Humber students who have benefitted from this support and opportunities such as internships and employment that have resulted from the positive relationships that often develop between BOLT and scholarship recipients.    

Representatives from BOLT Charitable Foundation and Tridel were in attendance, as well as Humber faculty, leadership, and past BOLT Foundation scholarship recipients. Over its 10-year relationship with Humber, BOLT has provided more than $200,000 in scholarship support, awarding 68 scholarships to students in 15 different construction-related programs.

Humber President and CEO, Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, thanked BOLT for its ongoing commitment to the college and its students through the scholarships and noted they are playing a key role in contributing to student success.

“The ongoing support from the BOLT Foundation will help ensure that Humber students in need will receive the support they require to achieve academic and career success,” said Vaughan. “These scholarships are a valuable resource that help our students succeed and support them as they look to start a career in the construction industry.”

Ann Marie Vaughan smiles as she chats with two people at an event at Humber College.

BOLT will be supporting four yearly scholarships worth $3,000 each to students who demonstrate financial need and are enroled in a full-time, construction-related program at Humber including Architectural Technology, Civil Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technician – Control Systems, Electrical Engineering Technology – Control Systems, Sustainable Energy and Building Technology, Building Construction Technician and Construction Engineering Technology.

“BOLT’s support goes beyond finances to offer meaningful career development opportunities that allow students to apply the knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom and build successful careers in the construction industry,” said Raly Chakarova, executive director with the BOLT Foundation. “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Humber College and the strong educational foundation students receive here.”

The scholarships provided by BOLT have made a significant impact on Humber’s students. Raphael Owusu, who graduated from Humber’s Building Construction Technician program this year, is a 2021 BOLT scholarship recipient.

He’s currently working as a site coordinator for Tridel at the company’s The Well development in Toronto and feels the BOLT scholarship was a major benefit to his post-secondary education.

“The BOLT scholarship allowed me to focus on my education, while also giving me the opportunity to do a co-op with Tridel,” said Owusu. “With BOLT, I advanced in my career in ways I could not have imagined.”

For more information on Humber’s programs, visit the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology website.