Industrial Steam Time Now Available to Lambton College Technology Students via Onsite Boiler
SARNIA, July 29, 2021 – Lambton College students working to achieve various levels of Operating Engineer status will now have the opportunity to qualify for steam time hours while they are on campus.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) recently granted the College permission to utilize their onsite boiler system to provide CO-OP students with steam time hours in addition to reductions already offered by taking the program.
Steam time reduction decreases the time graduates require working in the industry to qualify for their Power Engineering certification. Currently, students enrolled in Lambton’s Chemical Production & Power Engineering Technology program work towards achieving their 4th Class certification, while students enrolled in Power Engineering Technology earn steam time towards 4th, 3rd and 2nd Class certification.
Dave Machacek, Dean, Technology & Trades at Lambton College says the reduction in the required industrial steam to receive 4th, 3rd or 2nd class certification is one of the greatest benefits of the College’s Power Engineering programs. This latest approval by the TSSA means the College is able to provide students with additional options to earn the industrial steam time required for these industry certifications. Currently, Lambton is the only Power Engineering program in Ontario that has provided 4th and 3rd class industrial steam time above and beyond the reductions provided by other power engineering programs.
Additionally, the opportunity to provide these hours to students on campus is also of great value for employers, who still need students to have these qualifications, but who, due to pandemic restrictions, weren’t allowed to provide access to their facilities like they normally would.
“To ensure we continue to meet employer and student needs through out the pandemic, our College has been working hard to find ways to allow students to continue to pursue their steam time hours,” says Machacek. “Lambton is fortunate to have one of the best closed looped boiler systems in the province, and because we have the facilities, we can offer students what is normally industrial steam time by running our onsite boiler system.”
The opportunity to provide steam time hours for students on campus is just one of the many strategies the College has put in place to ensure the continued success of students in Technology programs.
Last year, the Lambton also partnered with Vretta Inc to produce customized on-line math modules to ensure incoming students were prepared for the mathematics curriculum in the School of Technology and Trades. The new tool helps assess a student’s fundamental math skills and then provides customized interactive upgrading lessons based on their performance to strengthen skills prior to the start of classes.
The unique approach allows students time to focus on the skills they need most, before completing an assessment to demonstrate their learning, which then contributes to a small portion of their grade in their program’s introductory math course.
According to Machacek, basic numeracy and math skills can be one of the most significant barriers to success in Technology programs. The new math modules are specifically designed to inform students of areas they need to develop prior to classes starting, which in turn, informs the College on how they can best support students from day one.
“This is a tool that we will continue to develop to reduce barriers to success. This intervention allows us to focus specifically on what each individual student needs and then help them prepare for success,” explains Machacek.
For more information on Lambton’s Chemical Production & Power Engineering Technology and Power Engineering Technology programs, visit our Program Pages.