There will be no more lugging around equipment for powerline students as they have a new place to call home with the grand opening of their new training centre in Chatham.
St. Clair College held a grand opening for its Powerline Training Centre at the Thames Campus Friday morning. The $2.1 million, 6,500 square foot facility will allow students to do climbing and truck training indoors and store all their equipment onsite. Unlike most ribbon cutting ceremonies, organizers decided to do this one in style.
Program Co-ordinator Doug Bendall said the facility will make it a lot easier on the students compared to the "old days."
"All of our tools and equipment were stored over on the main campus," Bendall said. "There was a gap in every day to move everything over here, pack it up at night and move it back."
The new facility is located on the Northwest corner of McNaughton and Bear Line Road and while it isn't far from the main campus, Bendall said it was still time-consuming to move equipment back and forth. He said the facility was much needed and a real "shot in the arm" for the program.
"It really closes some gaps for us," Bendall said. "It's going to make us first-class."
According to Bendall, the facility was needed to train the future of the industry. He said the majority of powerline workers are Baby Boomers who either have already retired or are close to it.
Student president Zach Rank echoed Bendall's comments about jobs becoming available and he's glad he chose an open field.
"It's good to know you're going to leave school with a good opportunity for a job," Rank said. "We have to work hard here to keep our grades up and be great candidates for a number of companies in the local area as well as across the province."
The second-year student said when he started, the training centre was nothing but a farmers field so he has seen the whole build. Rank added he, of all people, can really appreciate the work that went into the build and said it will help bring students to Chatham from all across the province and even country.
The grand opening ended with students demonstrating a bucket rescue, which is done when someone is hurt while working up high on the lines.