The Ontario government is investing $750 million over five years to fund up to 20,500 seats for students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs at colleges and universities, including 2,440 per year at McMaster.

The funding, announced April 22 at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute, will support educating a new generation of skilled leaders, driving discovery and meaningful impact in local and global communities.

“This new support for STEM will make a meaningful difference for students across the province,” said McMaster President David Farrar.

“It means more domestic students will be able to stay closer to home while receiving a world-class education right here at schools like McMaster.”

McMaster’s most popular programs are in STEM fields, including those that advance health sciences, engineering and science, all areas the province of Ontario has prioritized.

The investment in homegrown talent will help Ontario’s economy withstand current and future challenges, including tariffs and economic uncertainty from the U.S., said Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security.

“Colleges and universities play a vital role in arming our economy with a highly skilled workforce,” Quinn said.

“This investment will expand training capacity at our world-class publicly funded colleges and universities, connecting students to good-paying jobs and securing our world-class workforce for decades to come.”

McMaster students, alumni and researchers attended the announcement, including recent integrated health sciences and biomedical engineering graduate and startup CEO Lianna Genovese, creator of the Guided Hands assistive device.

“As a proud graduate of McMaster’s Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering program, I know firsthand how critical STEM education is to nurturing innovation and building real-world solutions,” said Genovese, whose product started as a project for a first-year Engineering course.

Today, the device is used in 25 countries to help thousands of people with limited mobility realize their dreams of drawing, painting and writing.

“This investment will empower the next generation of changemakers to transform lives through technology,” said Genovese. “Our success story began in a university lab — and with support like this, more Ontario students can bring life-changing solutions to impact the lives of others!”

Hamilton and Burlington MPPs Neil Lumsden, Monica Ciriello and Natalie Pierre joined Quinn at the announcement before he toured MMRI and the nearby Forge business incubator.

The investment in STEM education will strengthen key sectors — advanced manufacturing, life sciences and technology — training the next generation of a highly skilled work force.