Dressing for success: clothing depot aids Sudbury students in prepping for the job.

AuthorKelly, Lindsay
PositionNEWS

With tuition, books, accommodation, groceries, transportation and other expenses, post-secondary education can be expensive. But with its Professional Clothing Depot, Cambrian College in Sudbury wants to eliminate at least one financial stressor for students.

The depot is a one-stop clothes resource for students who require work-appropriate attire as they prepare for a placement or enter the workforce.

In the past, students had been able to access pop-up shops, stocked with donations from faculty, twice a year, said Rhaili Champaigne, president of the Students' Administrative Council (SAC).

But in March of last year, the school established a permanent professional clothing depot, the first of its kind.

"The whole point of the depot is to make sure that students feel comfortable and confident, with less stress going on a placement or during the job search," Champaigne said.

The depot stocks everything from suits, blazers and dress pants to ties and high heels, in addition to accessories like briefcases, purses, winter coats, boots and gloves.

But Champaigne emphasized that work clothes aren't just limited to office attire.

With programming heavy in the skilled trades and health sciences, Cambrian students also need work gloves, steel-toed boots, hard hats, and scrubs.

Steel-toed boots and scrubs are mandatory for students in the skilled trades and health sciences programs, respectively, and that can add up, especially since students need at least five days' worth of professional clothing for their placements.

"We all know how much it is to try to stock our wardrobes, so we don't want students to take out more loans or borrow more money and have that financial stress on them," Champaigne said. "It's a really good program; I'm really happy with it."

The Professional Clothing Depot is available to Cambrian students throughout the year. Students can visit the SAC...

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