Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute Officially Opens its Doors

Estevan, SK – Southeast Regional College hosted an Open House and Grand Opening event today at the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute in Estevan.  Visitors were able to tour the entire facility and have the option to attend various info sessions on upcoming programs and courses such as Power Engineering, Electrician, Office Education, and safety training.  A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony took place over the lunch hour with public addresses from a number of dignitaries.

The Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute project broke ground in November 2009 with funding from the provincial and federal governments through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program that was part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. This state-of-the-art campus will provide the capacity to deliver specialized training and skill development to meet the labour needs of the various energy sectors regionally and provincially. 

“It was certainly a great pleasure and privilege to be at the grand opening and to see firsthand the state of the art campus that was made possible in large measure through significant funding under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program,” said Member of Parliament, Ed Komarnicki. “As great as the facility is, what is even greater is the potential that has been created to meet the needs of the energy sector by supplying the training and skills development necessary to continue to grow the industry.”

“Our government recognizes the value of investing in Saskatchewan’s post?secondary education through infrastructure investments,” Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles said. “The Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute will provide an enhanced learning environment for students to succeed in their studies and prepare them for careers in our growing labour market.”

With eleven classrooms, three training labs, a computer resource room, a testing room, and a 250-seat lecture theatre, the 44,000 square-foot building offers the flexibility necessary to deliver a wide range of training.  The increased classroom space is a welcome advantage to meet the student numbers that are expected to increase in conjunction with the surge of oil and gas activity in the Bakken area.

“We are very proud of this facility and couldn’t have made it happen without the partnerships between provincial and federal governments, as well as the City of Estevan,” said Southeast Regional College Board Chair Judi Jones.  “And we look forward to the continued partnerships at the programming and educational levels with our industry partners,” echoed Interim College President and CEO Jody Holzmiller.

Additional information on the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute can be found at www.southeastcollege.org/programs/seti.