Sudbury’s two colleges promote their services to mining sector
Sudbury’s post-secondary institutions play an “absolutely critical” role in the city’s mining cluster, says the executive director of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA).
“New programs are the big thing for us,” said Dick DeStefano at the organization’s 11th annual general meeting Dec. 4. “Our guys hire everybody they can.”
When he addressed SAMSSA members and local dignitaries that morning, DeStefano identified four critical components of Sudbury’s mining cluster: mining extraction, support services, post-secondary institutions and research institutions.
Cambrian College President Bill Best, and Collège Boréal President Pierre Riopel took to the stage to address the local mining supply and services sector, and outline the solutions their institutions can provide. Riopel announced Boréal will launch a new prospecting and exploration technology program in 2015.
The program, he said, was a direct response to industry needs after conversations with DeStefano and other mining sector representatives. “The college system is a very nimble system,” Riopel said. “We’re listening to industry.
“I think Boréal offers groups such as this one (SAMSSA) great opportunities in terms of training.”
Best said that while the city’s colleges can respond to industry needs, they can only do so when they are provided evidence of those needs.
“If you”re coming to us to say you have a need, you need the data to go along with it,” he said. “We don’t respond to anecdotes, we respond to facts.”
Best also took an opportunity to promote Cambrian’s recent foray into applied research.
“Think of them (Cambrian students) as your R&D department,” he said.
While Best could not highlight any upcoming applied research projects, the college has already teamed up with a number of small- and medium-sized enterprises to solve specific problems.
In July, for example, NorthernLife.ca reported on a collaboration between Cambrian and Sudbury-based Renewable Resource Recovery Corporation to develop a technology that harnesses waste energy from solar panels and increases efficiency by up to 20 per cent.
In addition to Sudbury’s community colleges, local government was well represented at the SAMSSA annual general meeting.
Mayor Brian Bigger, and a half dozen new councillors attended the event.
“Any money that is invested in this cluster turns into additional jobs,” Bigger said. “It’s all about growth.”
DeStefano said Sudbury’s new municipal government should reduce development fees, move ahead with upgrades on fielding road, and assign land for new industrial parks.
Bigger said he agreed that industrial parks, in particular, are an investment that can pay off in the long run.
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