June 11, 2007

Kitchener receives 15 new heavy equipment operators

KITCHENER

Conestoga College has graduated its first-ever class of 15 apprentices in the Heavy Equipment Operator program.

The program was initiated by the college in collaboration with the Conestoga Heavy Construction Association to meet an identified need in the industry. The resulting eight-week program involved three weeks of instruction at Conestoga’s campus in Guelph, followed by five weeks of skills application and development on actual equipment on-site at Capital Paving, which is located south of Guelph.

In a news release, the college states the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Guelph area has a very active construction industry, fuelled by a rapidly expanding population and commercial base. The area is recognized as one of the most active in Canada, and the demand exists for skilled personnel in all construction-related fields, including heavy equipment operator.

“The industry-education partnership worked very well, because the participating local firms were generous with making available equipment for in-college and on-site training, in addition to furnishing the site for skills application on actual equipment such as backhoes, excavators, bulldozers and tractor loaders,” the news release states.

JOC NEWS SERVICE

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