FREDERICTON – For more than four decades, New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) has been a driving force in New Brunswick’s economic and social prosperity. NBCC’s programs, services and initiatives support the aspirations of individual learners, further the opportunities of the labour market and, in collaboration with partners, enable solutions for the challenges of communities and industry.
One of those partners is the Army Learning Support Centre (ALSC) Tactics School at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown. For several years, ALSC has partnered with NBCC to offer graduates of technical programs the opportunity to enhance their skills through an experiential workplace paid internship.
“Our partnership with NBCC has been a godsend,” said Maj. P.A. Meaney, Officer in Command of ALSC. “NBCC has provided us with sustainability; it’s good for the students, and it’s good for us.”
The NBCC graduates participating in the internship program have the most up-to-date training, which has helped the unit modernize in recent years, he said. As the interns learn from the public servants on the job, the public servants also learn the latest industry developments from the interns.
The ALSC integrates industry standard technologies to develop advanced training for the military, designing and developing distance learning, 3D models, gaming applications, animations, graphic print media, videos and photography to help modernize army training. Its facilities are among the best in the country and include state-of-the-art technology and equipment; 3D print capability, Oculus technology, motion chairs and motion capture systems.
In celebration of the partnership between the College and ALSC, NBCC Fredericton has awarded its first Industry Partner Award to the unit. The award recognizes the organization’s consistent and dedicated support of NBCC learners and alumni.
“We value this partnership with NBCC quite highly,” said Maj. Meaney. “We’re a model for the rest of the armed forces. In fact, this program is part of the reason I lobbied for this job; the energy here is pretty special.”
