Sault College -- windy ways for new electrical techs.For years, Sault College Sault College is one of 24 publicly funded community colleges in Ontario. Sault College is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre. has replenished the skilled trades ranks for Algoma Steel ''See also Algoma (Disambiguation) Algoma Steel Corporation (TSX: AGA) was founded in 1902 by Francis Clergue, an American entrepreneur who had settled in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. and other local industries. But a new business partner has blown into town offering new job opportunities in the 'green' energy field. Sault College and Brookfield Power have formed a solid partnership with training programs focused on the alternative energy sector. Brookfield, operators of Canada's largest wind farm, the 189-megawatt Prince Wind Energy Project located west of Sault Ste. Marie Sault Sainte Marie — pronounced "Soo Saint Marie" (IPA /su seɪnt məˈɹi/) — is the name of two cities on the Saint Marys River, which forms part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. , has teamed up with the college to build the proposed Brookfield Power energy training centre on campus later this year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To provide future employees, the college is now offering a new two-year program for electrical engineering electrical engineering: see engineering. electrical engineering Branch of engineering concerned with the practical applications of electricity in all its forms, including those of electronics. technicians specializing in power generation. The program will offer students a hands-on experience in implementing and maintaining wind turbines and alternative energy systems and operations. Their new classrooms and laboratories will feature a fully functioning wind turbine on campus. Besides serving as a training facility, it will be an interpretive centre interpretive centre Noun a building situated at a place of interest, such as a country park or historical site, that provides information about the site by showing videos, exhibiting objects, etc. to generate greater public awareness. Sault College is renowned for producing leading-edge electrical engineering technicians and technologists. Other Ontario colleges offer the same provincially-mandated and standard apprenticeship programs, Sault College's "really shines" with their electrical engineering specialties, says Professor Rob McTaggart. It's the nature of their training equipment, the focus on systems and programs' high level of difficult is what sets them apart, says McTaggart. "We've really gone to town our automation equipment with solid state motor drives and systems. We have a really good level of difficulty." Sault College offers two electrical engineering technician programs ... in process automation, and combining process automation and trades. Both are two year programs. There's also a three-year program for Electrical Engineering Technologist in process automation. Though still early to predict class sizes, applications for their technician and technologist programs numbered 31 as of mid-May. It's expected class sizes for all their combined programs will fill up to the usual 60 to 70 students come September. "The majority of the jobs our three-year people go to aren't electrical trades job, they're electrical technologist Electrical Technologists are people that apply electrical theory on the job. Their knowledge and skill lies between that of electrical engineers and general electrical trades persons. They train in three year diploma programs at colleges or universities. jobs," says McTaggart. The college produces electrical technicians and technologists which are midway between an electrician and a university degree professional engineer. "It's more rigourous in the academics, especially the three-year (program), and there's a much wider variety of jobs people can do." McTaggart finds the extra third year does wonders to help students mature, "and how they appear to an employer is huge," The three-year program is beyond just teaching electrical and electronics fundamentals, it introduces student to major equipment used in the field, such as motors, generators, transformers, and how to control them. But McTaggart doesn't mind saying they offer tough programs. "The attrition rate Noun 1. attrition rate - the rate of shrinkage in size or number rate of attrition rate - a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected" is fairly high," starting with usually 60 in first year electrical combined programs, with about 15 graduates by third year. "From a mathematical and work level, they're fairly rigourous programs." In job opportunities, Sault College-trained electrical technicians and technologists go everywhere, says McTaggart, who's co-signed a few passport applications for some of his grads. Many end up working for local employers like Tenaris Tubes, Flakeboard and Brookfield. Algoma Steel is also on a hiring binge. The successful steel producer expects to hire 100 tradespeople trades·peo·ple pl.n. 1. People engaged in retail trade. 2. Skilled workers. Noun 1. tradespeople - people engaged in trade annually over the next three to five years. The company is building a 70 megawatt co-generation power plant and still has ambitious plans to eventually partner with an international wind energy company seeking to build wind towers for the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. market. Other students have landed positions with Ontario Power Generation Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is a public company whose shares are wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. It is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the province of Ontario, Canada [1]. , Dofasco, Domtar, Inco and international engineers Brock Solutions Brock Solutions is an Automation Engineering Solutions Company specializing in industrial automation for projects requiring automation engineering, Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Solutions and Project Management. from Kitchener. A substantial number work for in the Windsor-Detroit auto industry, auto service companies like Fanuc Robotics. The pay scale for many Sault College graduates from the low range of $40,000 to more than $100,000 US. On the web: www.saultc.on.ca QUICK FACTS Sault College Sault Ste. Marie Student Population: 6500 Acting President: Max Liedke Established: 1965 By IAN ROSS Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion