CNA gearing up training for new resource development projects
2/5/2008 12:20:35 PM
CNA is hosting a second Oil and Gas Stakeholder Forum and Strategy Session at the Delta St. John’s Hotel on Wednesday, February 6, 2008. The theme of the forum is Training for the Future.
The college again brings together senior executives and management personnel from industry and federal and provincial governments. At this forum, CNA will continue to discuss the education and training priorities and strategic directions of these stakeholders in order to enhance and strengthen the college’s program capabilities, facilities and resources to better serve the human resource needs of the oil and gas sector.
“Over the past year, we have been addressing most of the recommended strategies and action items as identified by industry stakeholders during the first oil and gas forum,” says CNA’s Senior Vice-President of Academic and Student Services Brian Tobin, chair of the college’s oil and gas steering committee.
“For this year’s forum, we will be discussing the human resource challenges and employment and training needs for the upcoming large scale development projects, which will no doubt provide significant economic benefits to the provincial economy. The timing is right for the college to explore new training areas in preparing citizens of the province for the future needs of industry.”
With funding support from the provincial government, CNA has increased first year industrial trades enrollment by 32 per cent since September 2006. In addition, CNA has increased the enrollment in the Petroleum Engineering Technology program by 100 per cent in the last two years. These increases in capacity reflect the college’s commitment in response to the high demand for technical professionals and highly skilled workers for the new projects in this province and across the country.
“College program officials have been working very closely in the last few months with industrial advisory committees to update engineering technology programs in order to maintain their currency and continuously meet national training standards,”says CNA President Jean Madill.
“We are also working with government concerning the enhancement of programming as well as infrastructure, shop space and other resources that will advance the college as a world-class training centre in the decade ahead,” said Madill.
CNA has recently completed the program development process for a new three-year Chemical Process Engineering Technology (CPET) program to meet future petroleum industry processing and refining needs. CPET is designed as a co-op program with eight academic semesters and two work-terms for students to gain industrial experience in the refining and processing sectors. This program will prepare students to be eligible to write the third and fourth class national Power Engineering certification examinations administered by the Department of Education.
With the proposed new refinery, the Liquefied Natural Gas terminal, the Hebron offshore development and the Voisey’s Bay project, the future looks very bright for high school students who plan to choose a career in the oil and gas industry. These new projects will have long-term high paying job opportunities for processing and refining professionals.
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For more information contact:
Tanya Alexander
Public Information Officer
College of the North Atlantic
709. 643.7928