Georgian College Renames Automotive School

Georgian College in Barrie, Ont., has renamed the Canadian Automotive Institute the Automotive Business School of Canada.

The automotive business program offered is the largest in Canada and receives tremendous support from the Canadian automotive industry, which provides co-op jobs, grad jobs, scholarships and vision through industry partners. Current students and alumni were involved with the rebranding process.

“The rebranding is about better representing students. This new brand illustrates our passion, dedication and drive. We are represented as professional individuals working toward taking over the industry, and that is what we intend to do,” said Nicole Simpson, a second-year Automotive Marketing student on co-op as a marketing and communications assistant in the Automotive Business School of Canada.

“Our school is a group of driven individuals who are going to become the next generation of the automotive industry. There is nothing that we aren’t capable of,” Simpson adds.

Georgian partnered with Young and Rubicam (Y & R), the same advertising agency used by a large automotive manufacturer, to create and launch the new brand. The entire process took place within a year. Y & R suggested changing the name to Automotive Business School of Canada and establishing it as a business school. This would avoid the confusion that some prospective students may have regarding it being a technical school rather than a business school.

“When great organizations come together, great things happen. The Automotive Business School of Canada is grateful to Y & R for its support and partnership,” said Jennifer Sheremeto, marketing specialist for the school. “They are helping us to meet our overall goal of increasing the number of applicants and helping bring negative public perception in line with the reality that the program is in fact strong and our graduates get jobs.”

Although the automotive industry has been challenged from time to time, said dean of the school Marie-Noëlle Bonicalzi, the program has always had a strong co-op component. The school has produced more than 2,700 graduates who experienced co-ops in the field.

“Since the inception, we always had to explain that we are not a technical school, but a business school for the automotive industry,” said Bonicalzi. “Now our name says what we are all about. We are very pleased with our new motto: Automotive Business School of Canada – For the driven.”