Collaborative effort behind new Parts Technician program

Two heads can be better than one – or, in this case, two like-minded colleges.

When Lakeland College and Red Deer College both submitted proposals to eCampusAlberta in 2010 to adapt their Parts Technician programs for distance delivery, an opportunity to collaborate was born.

The online program is set to roll out through eCampusAlberta in January 2012. Lakeland will deliver the first and third training periods and Red Deer the second, with both institutions following the provincial apprenticeship curriculum. As well, both colleges will continue to offer their on-campus programs.

The fact that both Lakeland and Red Deer shared a common goal – expanding access to learning – made collaboration easier for them.

“The Parts Technician trade is not a compulsory certification trade in Alberta so a technician doesn’t have to be a certified journeyman to work in the industry,” says Kevin Loehr, Red Deer’s Developer-Instructor on the project. “But a lot of employers are seeing the value of training. Online access can fill the void for potential students who aren’t coming to school for various reasons,” Loehr says.

And those reasons are many, says Loehr, ranging from remote geographic locations to difficulty getting time away from a small shop for six or eight weeks of training a year.

Chris Noster, Developer-Instructor for Lakeland, concurs.

“There’s a big untapped market out there,” he says. “The eCampusAlberta option will make training accessible to individuals who, for various reasons, are unable to attend traditional classes.”

The parts industry is a diverse field that takes in automotive, heavy equipment, farm implements, industrial, recreational vehicle, jobbers, plumbing and electrical. Loehr says the earning potential is higher with a credential. Of eight postings he noted in a recent week, four called for formal training.
 
The distance delivery program promises an experience as rich – or more so – as a classroom-based one.

“A student has to make almost 3,000 mouse-clicks to complete the 56 modules in Period Two training,” says Loehr. “And they get feedback on every question – not just right or wrong, but the ‘why’ behind the correct answer. Period Two content is mostly mechanical and very technical, so feedback is really important for understanding to take hold.”

Lakeland plans similar interactivity, says Noster.

“Online delivery is actually lending itself to exploring a little more than in the classroom, where we’re always pressed for time. Some assignments in the online format mean students have to get out into the parts world. One module requires them to analyze a parts merchandising display – take a photo of a real display, post it, and critique it.”

In a speech-writing assignment, Noster adds, students will post their videotaped presentations on YouTube for their instructor to view.

Working with another eCampusAlberta institution has been a win-win, says Noster. “In collaborating there’s opportunity to learn from each other and it builds an environment of trust.”

For more information on Parts Technician training, visit: www.lakelandcollege.ca and www.rdc.ab.ca

Watch for more information on the eCampusAlberta website in the coming weeks.