March 20, 2009 - 2:29am
The second graduating class of Vancouver Island University’s electrical program barely made it to the podium for their graduation ceremony.
That’s because many of the students were snapped up by eager employers before graduation day.
“Our Electrical Entry Level Trades Training (ELTT) program is incredibly successful,” said Dan Lines, Associate Dean of Trades and Applied Technology. “Our graduates are in high demand.”
One student, Travis White, was hired by a local company before he completed his two week practicum. “He finished his exams early so he could get right to work,” said Lines. “Many other students had employment waiting for them as soon as they received their graduation certificates.”
The Electrician Training Program at VIU offers an entry level certification, the ELTT, which gives graduates what they need to pursue an apprenticeship. The department also offers Levels 1 through Level 3 towards the completion of an electrical apprenticeship.
“This was a career change for me,” said White, a former nurse. “I was accepted into other programs, but chose VIU over the rest. As an ELTT graduate, I feel comfortable and well prepared for the work force. I found the program comprehensive and interesting, and the teaching staff knowledgeable and supportive.”
Having successfully completed the program, White secured employment with Canem Systems, which he calls a progressive, diverse and dynamic company. “I have a variety of options now available to me,” said White. “The ELTT program offered at VIU met my needs and I recommend it without hesitation.”
Lines said the impetus to launch the new training program for electricians came from industry. “We were approached by employers,” said Lines, “so we started the program in 2007 with one EELT, one Level 1, and one Level 2 class on the calendar. An overwhelming 250 applicants to this first year led to a program with double the number of classes in 2008. As of March 2009, VIU began offering its first Level 3 class, and it’s full.”
Success before certification seems to be the norm with this recent graduating class.
One group of students created a residential service display at VIU’s Nanaimo campus. To go with the display, they wrote a booklet on residential services describing all the rules and code for installing residential services correctly.
Deanna Littlejohn, their instructor and the department chair, passed the booklet on to B.C. Safety Authority, Senior Electrical Safety Officer, Ivan Pye, and Provincial Electrical Safety Manager, Stephen Hinde. They were impressed.
“They want to work with VIU and these students to mass produce the book and use it as a give-away at their offices for contractors,” said Littlejohn. “It will be used as a guideline for construction.”
“The VIU ELTT Electrical program is a delivered course,” explained Littlejohn, so that, rather than working through modules alone, “the instructor is with the students all the time.”
The 24-week ELTT Electrician Certificate and Electrician Apprentice Training programs are part of the VIU’s Trades and Applied Technology programs. If you would like to know more about training in trades, check out the website at http://www.viu.ca/TAT or call (250)740-6134.
Tags: In the Community
