Sault College -- windy ways for new electrical techs.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Top Post-secondary Programs

For years, Sault College has replenished the skilled trades ranks for Algoma Steel 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, has teamed up with the college to build the proposed Brookfield Power energy training centre on campus later this year.

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To provide future employees, the college is now offering a new two-year program for electrical engineering 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 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 jobs," says McTaggart.

The college produces electrical technicians and technologists which are midway between an electrician...