This op-ed was first published in the Kingston Whig-Standard on October 8, 2015.   With technology evolving at an ever-increasing pace, access to state-of-the art facilities and equipment is not a "nice-to-have" for post-secondary education institutions, but a necessity to train job-ready graduates in high-demand fields. This is especially true for Canada's colleges and institutes, which are mandated to provide hands-on skills training and experiential learning. Unfortunately, aging facilities are a growing concern for the communities served by these institutions, where almost half of existing infrastructure currently exceeds its 40-year life cycle. The impact of the situation is most evident in... Read more