As NBCC prepares learners for careers in their chosen fields, community and industry partners play a vital role. Whether they donate bursary funds or equipment, host workplace practicums, provide applied learning opportunities, visit classrooms as guest speakers, or hire graduates, their contributions help make the NBCC experience extraordinary for students.
At the Miramichi Campus, a heavy equipment dealer specializing in forestry and construction equipment is one of the College’s most important partners. A.L.P.A. Equipment Ltd. is a strong proponent of the College’s Mechanized Forest Equipment Operator program and has a long history of helping prepare NBCC graduates for the workplace. It’s also the recipient of the 2020 Partner Award for the Miramichi Campus.
“I felt obligated to invest time and money to make sure NBCC is at the top of the training field,” said Serge Landry, President of A.L.P.A. Equipment Ltd. “For us, it’s a long-term vision. The more quality operators that are trained, the easier it is for my customers to hire operators and the more equipment they buy, whether from me or from my competitors. It’s helping the whole industry.
“In the long run, NBCC will produce really good operators for the benefit of everyone in the industry.”
A.L.P.A. Equipment Ltd. has been in operation since 1976, serving Atlantic Canada and the Gaspésie and Lower-Saint-Laurent regions of Quebec. Its partnership with NBCC dates back to the early 2000s, when it helped the College secure discounted prices on equipment to train the next generation of operators.
“The industry was trying to get more operators in forestry, and the NBCC equipment was quite obsolete,” he recalled. “I tried to get good deals on new equipment for them, and trained staff on the equipment.”
Over the years, the equipment has been upgraded, and A.L.P.A. Equipment Ltd. is still helping NBCC get the best equipment at the best price.
“The technology that’s being used at the College is what industry uses in the woods, the same brand,” said Landry. “It helps for the operators to be trained on the most popular machines being used.”
A.L.P.A. also brings industry experts and equipment sales representatives to the College to give learners to the opportunity to see advanced operational techniques. The company also welcomes NBCC learners to its premises for industry development days.
