November 9, 2009

College of New Caledonia will improve access to trades training in British Columbia

JIM STIRLING

correspondent

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.

Trades training in British Columbia’s central interior will get a boost with plans for construction of the College of New Caledonia (CNC) in Prince George, B.C.

The headline project is a new trades and technical education centre, estimated to cost $19.7 million.

It is scheduled to welcome its first students in February, 2011 and will replace an existing 50 year old trades centre.

The new trades and technical education center will be able to accommodate 792 full time equivalent students, an increase of 65 per cent.

It will offer substantially more workshop, laboratory and classroom space to assist students in a hands-on approach to a wide range of trades and technical training.

This includes instruction for welding; machinist; mechanic/millwright; plumbing and engineering positions along with technician problems in mining; transportation and logistics and environmental disciplines and applications.

The centre is being built to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED) Gold standard.

The building will incorporate innovative green technologies.

For example, maximum natural daylight will be incorporated into the building design to conserve electricity.

Also, geothermal heat will be harnessed to contribute to the radiant arming system in the structure’s floors.

“It’s a real holistic approach,” summarized Nick Foster, an associate with MacFarlane, Green and Biggar Architects of North Vancouver at a ground breaking ceremony for the project held recently in Prince George.

And, in accordance with recent provincial guidelines, the use of wood will be incorporated prominently into the building’s design, he noted.

The new technical education centre is expected to create 126 direct construction jobs.

The provincially-funded project is being augmented by a $9.75 million contribution from the federal government’s Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

Operating on a similar construction schedule to the Prince George project will be a new trades training centre at CNC’s Quesnel campus.

The $9.8 million project will create more than 2,660 square metres of instruction and office space to accommodate 276 full time equivalent students.

It, too, is funded jointly by the provincial and federal governments.

The skills scheduled to be taught include carpentry; electrical; plumbing; welding; power engineering; agro-forestry; horticulture and animal science.

Meanwhile, another advanced education expansion project is underway at the Northwest Community College Campus at Smithers, in west central B.C.

The project is estimated to cost $16.7 million to build and will create 107 construction jobs.

Upon completion, the college will be able to offer additional mining and mineral exploration training programs.

The upgraded facilities will also include expanded laboratory space, a multi-purpose shop along with improved distance education and video conferencing capabilities.

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