By Charles Lefebvre

VIDEO: Partnership between MHC, Northern Lakes College allows students to learn to operate cranes

Nov 21, 2018 | 3:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Medicine Hat College students are getting an opportunity to receive hands-on training with cranes this week.

Northern Lakes College, based in Slave Lake, has brought their mobile crane and hoisting equipment to Medicine Hat College for the next six weeks. Several students were able to work outside Tuesday and Wednesday, learning the popper operation of the equipment, and putting their classroom work to good use.

“Instead of having the students go to Northern Lakes, they bring the cranes to the students,” said Dennis Beaudoin, dean of trades and technology at Medicine Hat College.

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Northern Lakes College travels across Alberta throughout the year, offering training and access to equipment for students. Beaudoin says Northern Lakes has previously brought their cranes to Medicine Hat College’s campus in Brooks, but this is the first time they’ve stopped at the main campus.

“They’re learning to move weights around, trying to control the weights to make sure everything is nice and smooth,” said Beaudoin. “They’re learning about angles, there’s a ton of math in this trade, just to figure out about fluid mechanics, how you can use different types of hoisting equipment to lift different loads.”

“We like to say that 90 per cent of crane operating is all of the math skills you need to to it, your sling tension, load charts, all of the theory behind it, how to set up properly, what to look for in ground pressure, and 10 per cent of it is pulling the stick,” said Rick Clarke, one of the instructors at Northern Lakes College. “When we get out and practice, we’re basing it on theory we’re learning in the classroom.”

Beaudoin says the training can have benefits for students enrolled in the plumbing, carpentry, heavy equipment technicians and steamfitting and pipefitting programs at the college.

He adds having Northern Lakes bring equipment also helps students with hand-on experience.

“When you look at some of this equipment they have here, they’re millions and millions of dollars,” he said. “Not every institution can can afford to have something like that. For us to be able to have them at the campus, and bringing their equipment to help students we have in the area is huge, it’s fantastic.”

The program wraps up on December 18.