News Article

Beginning in October, College of the North Atlantic will revive its machinist program through a dual-campus delivery model.
 
The new offering will be delivered jointly by the Placentia and Prince Philip Drive campuses with the theory component being delivered at Prince Philip Drive (PPD) campus in St. John’s, and the majority of the hands-on practical work done at the specialized machinist shops in Placentia.  Return bussing from St. John’s to Placentia will be provided as part of the program. Thus, students won’t need to worry about transportation for the practical portion.
 
It is anticipated the revised method of delivery will expand the population area where students can be attracted from, allowing rural and urban-based campuses to collaborate, attract students from both areas and maintain the specialized equipment and modernized shops in the rural campuses. The idea of dual-campus delivery is a fairly new one for the college, but it’s one that is already being expanded.
 
“We are doing a similar thing with Heavy Equipment Operator between Bay St. George and St. Anthony,” says Ann Marie Vaughan, president of College of the North Atlantic. “The 17 campus system of College of the North Atlantic allows for collaboration between campuses from high population areas to those in rural areas, maintaining and not duplicating specialized facilities, meeting labour market demand and moving students in response to their location demand.”
 
The concept seems like a win-win. Campuses are able to mount new programs throughout the province without needing to move or acquire additional resources such as machines and labs, and students get to take programs closer to home, reducing barriers to post-secondary education. This should result in more access for students and expanded markets for campuses.
 
In April, the college eliminated the machinist offerings at its Baie Verte and Placentia campuses as part of its budget reductions. Neither site was able to attract the required number of students to make the program viable even though employment prospects for graduates and resulting labour market demand is quite high.
 
According to information contained in Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Canadian Occupational Projection System, in the nine years between 2011 and 2020 there will be a need for nearly 18,000 new machinists in Canada alone. The biggest portion of this number (nearly 10,000) is due to retirements, however there will be many other opportunities created as companies expand and require additional workers.
 
“We know all of the trades are in high demand, and the machinist trade is one that has very few people entering the workforce,” said Robin Walters, the college’s Dean of Industrial Trades. “There is a national shortage of machinist apprentices so the job prospects for anyone entering this trade look very promising.”
 
College of the North Atlantic believes many students are not aware of what a machinist does. Simplistically speaking, machinists set up and operate precision metal cutting and grinding machines (lathes, drills and grinders/polishers), to make and repair products from metals and other materials. This is usually in a heavy industrial setting, but can also be in a specialized machine shop that services numerous industries.  The college’s machinist program is an apprenticeship-based Red Seal trade with graduates working in industrial engineering, primarily in manufacturing-based environments.
 
“It’s an excellent trade,” said Walters. “We now hope the new St. John’s-Placentia collaboration will entice more students to enroll so they can take advantage of the job opportunities that will be available to them upon graduating.”
 
For more information on the machinist program, or any of the college’s other program offerings, visit www.cna.nl.ca or contact the campus nearest you. Students requesting specific information on this new delivery format for the October 2013 start date should call 709-758-7360.
 
College of the North Atlantic is Newfoundland and Labrador’s only public college with 17 conveniently located campuses throughout the province. With a tuition rate of just $726 per semester, CNA is also the most affordable post-secondary option in Atlantic Canada.
 
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Media contact:
 
Stephen Lee
Manager of Marketing and Communications
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7721
stephen.lee@cna.nl.ca