Walking into the labs and shops at the College of New Caledonia Quesnel Campus during Science and Technology Day, one thing is common no matter where you walk: passion.
Instructors are passionate about providing opportunities for their students, and on Friday, Feb. 21, they had a chance to share that with the community during tours and presentations at the college.
In the Health Sciences Lab, mannequins were set up to show how future nurses and health care assistants learn how to do assessments, bed baths, lift people, do injections and much more.
Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program students take their first two years at the CNC Quesnel Campus and do the third and fourth years with the University of Northern British Columbia South-Central Campus in the same building, finishing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
CNC also offers the Health Care Assistant program, and instructor Judy Crain says they are hoping to offer Care Aide and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs here as well to meet the community demand.
“We try to keep our lab state-of-the-art,” said Crain. “This lab is very important to us for providing training. We partner with Northern Health quite closely and other community health providers.
“The initiatives we put in place are geared to students and making sure what we are offering meets community needs.”
The Health Sciences Lab features a simulation room that looks like a hospital room and features monitors, IV pumps, an ECG machine and a bedside monitoring system.
“Technology is always advancing, so we do our best to keep up with that so when students leave here, they’re getting trained on the technology they’re going to see in the field,” said Cairn. “Students get simulation training that helps them when they go into the actual setting … and we’ve added extra time where an instructor takes them to a hospital setting, and they can complete assessments on patients to add to their learning.”
Millwright/Machinist instructor Sergio Jorquera offered tours of the college’s Millwright/Machinist shop just days before a new Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)/Machinist Foundation program began at CNC Quesnel.
“Millwrights are also known as jacks of all trades because we do a little bit of everything,” he said, noting they do a bit of welding and use equipment such as milling machines and vertical band saws and work with pneumatics and hydraulics.
Jorquera says the 24-week Foundation program, which started Feb. 24, is a dual program, and upon completion of the program, students receive credit with the B.C. Industry Training Authority (ITA) for Level 1 technical training in both Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) and Machinist.
Jorquera says there are lots of opportunities for millwrights and machinists once they’ve completed their training, as they can work in mining, manufacturing, pulp and paper mills, grain terminals, airports, breweries, gear manufacturing and fish and poultry plants, for example.
“Heavy-duty millwrighting and welding are hot right now,” he said.
With his Red Seal, Jorquera himself has worked in Canada, South America and the Middle East.
CNC’s millwright program was in the national spotlight last year when Dusty Cathcart won the Industrial Mechanic/Millwright skill at the Skills Canada National Competition in Halifax.
Cathcart will be competing at the Skills Canada B.C. Competition again this year, on April 15, along with fellow CNC student Marshall Kline.
Science and Technology Day at CNC featured many tours and open houses, displays and presentations, which were open to the public.
During Science and Technology Day, the college also hosted the School District 28 science fair.
READ MORE: Quesnel’s got skills
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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