BARRIE, ONT. -- The usually bustling Georgian College campus in Barrie has been eerily quiet.
But come July, there will be a few cars in the empty parking lots.
"We're excited to return to some on-campus activity and help our students complete their semester," said Kevin Weaver, vice president of Academic at Georgian College.
On Wednesday, the province announced it's launching a pilot program to allow some college students, who are nearly ready to graduate but require hands-on learning, to return to class.
Next month, Georgian will be offering this opportunity to 39 carpentry students at the Barrie Campus and 27 welding students at the Midland Campus. These students were set to graduate following the winter semester but needed additional hands-on training.
"The good news is we've been able to condense the programming into two weeks," Weaver says.
Other than condensing programs, students can expect other modifications as well.
"Certainly, physical distancing will be a part of it. Where that cannot be maintained, they'll be required to have a face covering," explains Weaver.
The pilot program will also serve as a test run for colleges across Ontario, as they look ahead to reopening in the fall.
Georgian College officials estimate about 70 per cent of courses would be online, and 30 percent would be hands-on.
In the coming days, the college is expecting the province to provide more protocols for the reopening.
In the meantime, the college is also working on reintroducing hands-on learning for other programs, starting in August.
