Brockville - Gord Brown Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville visited the St. Lawrence College Brockville campus today to see the new, high end power simulator.

The simulator, and accompanying training, will further support students in the Power Engineering Techniques program at the college by providing hands-on training, without the dire consequences of a real life situation.

St. Lawrence College was awarded $41,800 in financial support from the Eastern Region Community Development Corporation for the purchase of a training simulator.

“This is important component of this program for the college. It gives the college a significant competitive advantage in training and will help train students for jobs right here in Leeds-Grenville, said Brown.

“The simulator gives trainees and skilled workers in the Power Generating Industry, the opportunity to learn on the simulator instead of using on-line equipment in plants. This significantly reduces the possibility of damage to their facility. The students will become familiar with starting up and shutting down boilers and associated equipment,” explained Dave Ashton of the college.

The project for the programs and simulator brought together business leaders from the region representing 25 organizations primarily from the manufacturing sector to help drive the process and culminated in the formation of the Technical Training Advisory Committee. This working group is dedicated to assisting the college in the design and implementation of relevant skills-based programming.

“The Centre for Corporate Learning and Performance Improvement at St. Lawrence College 
and the City of Brockville’s Economic Development Department formed a partnership to develop sustainable economic development initiatives to attract new knowledge based companies, help existing business be more competitive and develop a qualified skilled workforce – skills needed for the “new” jobs in the “new” economy,” said Charlie Mignault, Director of Corporate Learning and Performance Improvement for St. Lawrence College.