Education
April 27, 2006

College Students Benefit from New Equipment

A need for new, modern heavy equipment at College of the North Atlantic is being filled as the result of a $1 million shop modernization program. New equipment is now in place at Bay St. George, Placentia and Seal Cove, campuses identified as having the greatest need in this area. The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, joined members of the Board of Governors today to see firsthand how some of this equipment is being used.

"Some of these campuses were built as early as 1963. We are updating their industrial shops, including the heavy equipment used for training," said Minister Burke. "It is important for the students to have access to state-of-the art equipment, similar to that used on job sites. They must have the skills to move from education to employment, and access to this new equipment will help develop those skills."

Minister Burke toured the Heavy Equipment School of College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville with Alfred Goss, chair of the Board of Governors, board members, students and instructors.

"Substantial investments such as these provide the college with an opportunity to advance the quality of our programs, and enable us to produce industry ready students upon graduation," said Mr. Goss. "Under the leadership of Minister Burke, and with the support of the Department of Education, College of the North Atlantic has grown in its ability to meet the ever-changing needs of students and communities throughout the province."

Minister Burke stressed that government is continuing to increase opportunities for skills training in the province. "Part of developing a comprehensive and sustainable provincial economy is continuing to build a relevant and responsive training system. Budget 2007 allocates additional funding for the college, including $2 million for renovations and equipment upgrades, $2.9 million for enhanced apprenticeship training and $660,000 for skilled programming.

"Budget 2007 also allocates approximately $4.5 million for infrastructure requirements at the Prince Philip Drive campus and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. In addition, a new facility will be built for Labrador West to ensure the college has the capacity to respond to regional requirements. Labour, industry and government must work together to prepare a skilled work force to meet industry demands. Government is taking the necessary actions to ensure our public college system is fully aligned with industry standards."

-30-

Photo #1

Media contact:
Jacquelyn Howard
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 689-2624
jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca

Roger Hulan
Manager of Marketing and Communications
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.7721
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

The following equipment has been purchased for select college campuses:

Rubber Tire Backhoe Placentia
Skid Steer Placentia
D5 Dozer Bay St. George
Off Highway Articulated Bay St. George
Dump Trucks (4) Bay St. George
Boom Truck Bay St. George
Highway Tractor Bay St. George
Off Highway Articulated Bay St. George
Line Truck Seal Cove

2007 04 27                                                 9:50 a.m.
 


SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us


All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement