College provides training to meet sustainable construction demand

By College Relations | October 3, 2018
           

Okanagan College Media Release

 

Courtesy of a six-month Okanagan College training program in a field few people think much about, Clint Price has a full-time construction career.

Price finished his Residential Insulator program recently after 15 weeks in the classroom learning theory and safety related to insulation and then an additional 10 weeks in work placements with local employers.

The booming insulation industry, coupled with consumer interest in reducing environmental impact, has created a significant need for skilled workers. Okanagan College, in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Work BC, and local industry leaders, has brought a new program on board to help meet industry demand and prepare skilled workers.

The 25-week Residential Insulator program provides tuition-free specialized training for eligible applicants with funding from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. The program develops practical skills and provides safety certifications in the first 15 weeks of classroom instruction. The remaining 10 weeks are spent in work placements with local employers providing valuable work-related experience.

The Okanagan construction industry is thriving and evolving, inspiring local developers to push the envelope and build more sustainable spaces. Insulation plays a big, and often overlooked, part in creating energy efficient buildings.

The OC training program proved beneficial for Price, a graduate of the first intake of the Residential Insulator program. “The classroom training allowed me to gain the skills required to commence work in the industry and be a valuable member of an insulation team. My 10 weeks of work placement with Grayhawk Industries has allowed me to apply that knowledge with onsite training and has given me the necessary tools to succeed in my new career path,” says Price. “I am now employed full time in the industry and could not be more grateful for the opportunity to have been involved with this program.”

The Residential Insulator program was created in response to the local labour market challenges,” explains Dr. Dennis Silvestrone, Okanagan College’s Director of Continuing Studies and Corporate Training. “Okanagan College, in conjunction with the Ministry, and with support from local industry, is responding to this need by providing skilled training opportunities through the newly developed Residential Insulator program.”

“With changing building codes, it is important to provide skilled training within the insulation industry to equip these workers with a firm grasp of building science knowledge and the variety of different materials available to them,” says Luke Egely, Residential Insulator program instructor.

“Developing this pilot program has been a joint effort on many fronts,” says Egely. We’ve created a program that covers a broad range of topics to build the knowledge these students need.”

Price, along with other graduates of the first intake of the course, have recently completed their work placements. The training has resulted in several offers of full-time employment.

“This group of students have excelled with their training and are driven to create new careers for themselves,” says Egely. “They are just beginning to see the opportunities this training could open up to them.”

The program has been well-received locally and has received government funding for a second intake, beginning Nov. 26. Egely has also fielded calls from others interested in this type of training from all across Canada and the U.S.

The Residential Insulator program was developed through extensive consultation with local employers, consultants and

 suppliers in British Columbia and Alberta. Training takes place at the Okanagan College Trades training facility in Vernon. Find out more at okanagan.bc.ca/insulationinstaller.

 

 



TOP STORIES

RELATED STORIES

Sign up for weekly stories




Trending

Communications student standing outside the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus
Meet Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores

April 4, 2023

Q: What's your name? A: Ruth Gabriela Melo Flores Q: What's your hometown? A: Quito – Ecuador – South America Q: How did you end up at Okanagan College? A: Well, I studied for a bachelor's degree in Law in Ecuador. Then, I worked for a while and got my Master's degree in Government and Culture of Organizations at the University of Pamplona.  When I returned to my country, professional opportunities arose for me. I mean, a Master's degree improved my career. Spain helped ...

Read more...
Animation student
Artistic students design future careers in animation

June 7, 2022

Grads of Okanagan College’s Animation Diploma program are finding their skills have never been in higher demand. First- and second-year students showed samples of their artwork and demo reels to industry partners at OC’s annual Animation Industry Night on May 17. “Lots of the work was very professional,” says James Wood, Chair of Okanagan College’s Animation Department. “Our program is short, but intense. The instructors make sure the students have a realistic understanding of what they need do to succeed in a competitive and demanding...

Read more...
JAMK campus
OC Business students embrace international study again

May 30, 2022

Business students from Okanagan College are once again able to travel to Jyväskylä, Finland to experience an international summer school at the JAMK University of Applied Sciences.  Finland’s education system is widely regarded as one of the best in the world.  OC Business Professor Blair Baldwin, who has taught Services Design at JAMK for several summers, says working in Finland has helped him innovate and create new teaching methodologies. “JAMK employs experiential learning across its curriculum,” he says. “They stress cri...

Read more...
Enactus 2022
Enactus Okanagan College tops the field, sets sights on national championships

May 27, 2022

Okanagan College students will once again be competing for the Canadian title after qualifying for the Enactus National Exposition with a first-place finish in their league during the semi-final round. Enactus teams at post-secondary institutions across Canada competed virtually earlier this month, and Okanagan College scooped up top position in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge, and runner-up in the Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge for the Unusually Good Food Co. project. It also included national runner-up in Shaw and RBC accelerator...

Read more...