Manufacturing firms on the Burin Peninsula will soon be able to fulfill their quality assurance requirements much closer to their operations thanks to an investment from the Government of Canada in College of North Atlantic’s destructive and non-destructive testing project at the Burin campus.
The Honourable Peter Penashue, Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queens Privy Council, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. The funding will allow the College to acquire new destructive testing equipment and begin a research project around quality assurance methods.
“Our government’s investment in research and development will foster business competitiveness and economic growth,” said Minister Penashue. “Our investment in the College of the North Atlantic’s destructive and non-destructive testing program at the Burin campus will help the College address quality assurance requirements in the local manufacturing sector, which will directly benefit major industries throughout our region.”
Quality assurance using non-destructive and destructive means is a common practice within the manufacturing sector, particularly in areas where welding and fabrication are used. This investment allows the College to acquire new destructive testing equipment that can be used to test the welding and fabrication work of local manufacturing companies. The research component of the project will focus on applying common destructive and non-destructive testing methods to the manufacturing process of non-traditional materials, such as plastic and other types of tensile material. Currently the Burin campus offers the only two- year Welding Engineering Technology program in Atlantic Canada.
“College of the North Atlantic contributes to the province’s economy, not only by providing training opportunities, but also by significantly supporting local industry through applied research,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, President of CNA. “In this project the college will provide needed testing and process development services for manufacturers in the Burin Peninsula region. The equipment purchased will not only be used to solve current problems in these industries; it will provide a lasting legacy of campus research capacity in materials science and manufacturing innovation, enabling the college to provide relevant industrial assistance in the region.”
Two manufacturing companies located on the Burin Peninsula, Dynamic Air Shelters and Peter Kiewit Infrastructure, will work with the College on the initiative. Dynamic Air Shelters will have their quality assurance requirements addressed locally, while Peter Kiewit Infrastructure will use the program as part of the certification process for the welders that work on their site near Marystown.
The Government of Canada’s investment of $140,146 is provided through ACOA’s Innovative Communities Fund (ICF), which focuses on investments that lead to long-term employment and economic capacity building in rural communities.
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INFORMATION:
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of North Atlantic
709-643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca
Doug Burgess
Director, Public Affairs
ACOA
709-772-2935