Local digital automotive marketplace startup Vendde is partnering with Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute to support the relaunch of the high school’s automotive tech program. Vendde co-founder and consulting partner Zermaan Khan says this is a great opportunity for all involved.

“There’s massive shortage in labour intensive environments across the board but specifically for auto technicians, it’s a great opportunity for them to further that learning and education and for us to be able to provide some support toward that initiative, it’s a good opportunity for Vendee, for LCVI and the students above all,” says Khan.

Blake McGinness, Vendde media lead, says this was a passion project for him.

“This has been kind of a dream of mine to help these auto shops, especially when I heard LC had reopened, they didn’t have a car to work on, it’s like a wood shop teacher without wood…we just happened to have this car coming in and we definitely hope it turns into something bigger,” says McGinness.

LCVI brought Orrin Spearman, a retired teacher from Ottawa, in to teach the class. The car the students will be working on is a 2012 Nissan Altima.

“Nothing super special, it’s actually in great shape, I hope it lasts multiple years for that shop class to take it apart and put it back together…This way they might be self-sufficient for a while,” says McGinness.

McGinness says Vendee hopes to be able to expand this opportunity to other programs across the Limestone District School Board. Additionally, Vendde has plans to expand into Ottawa by the beginning of November.

“We’re going to plan city-wide outreach any way we can between here and Ottawa, which is why we reached out to the LDSB to get a blanket policy for all schools in the school board,” says McGinness.

Khan says the startup plans to expand to even bigger cities including Toronto and even further.

“We’re really looking at taking this platform national and beyond…The platform is designed to be functional in just about any marketplace…There’s nothing like it in the marketplace right now and we’re excited to be the first ones to be able to deliver this kind of community marketplace…to bridge gaps between sellers and buyers… and really put them in the driver’s seat.”

Vendde officially launched in Kingston at the beginning of August. The platform allows anybody to facilitate vehicle purchases and sales with the support of the agency and their licensed dealers.

Listen to the full CFRC interview with Zermaan Khan and Blake McGinness below: