Eric Ellefsen winner of 2023 Award for Excellence in Apprenticeship Education
April 26, 2023 | By HPAC Magazine
Ellefsen has been a refrigeration and air conditioning Instructor at New Brunswick Community College for over 36 years.
Eric Ellefsen (photo: courtesy CCDA)
Eric Ellefsen, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Instructor at New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) St. Andrews, has been selected by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) as the recipient of the 2023 Award for Excellence in Apprenticeship Education.
The award honours apprenticeship educators and training instructors who deliver innovative and top-quality instructional programming to apprentices in Red Seal Trades.
Ellefsen has demonstrated a drive for excellence in teaching NBCC Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic (RACM) apprentices in St. Andrews, NB for more than 36 years.
He has pioneered various training technologies in course delivery, including 3D virtual training and hybrid in-person/online classes.
He helps apprentices and technicians develop and maintain lifelong learning by sharing resources, training opportunities, and new industrial regulations online.
Ellefsen has demonstrated a commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion in the skilled trades. He participates in the Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technician Trades Exploration Program for underrepresented groups, and he mentored and inspired the first female Red Seal Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician in New Brunswick.
He regularly connects with industry groups to ensure that apprenticeship training emphasizes industry needs and that program curriculum, tools, and equipment are current and relevant.
He is an Educational Advisor for the RACM trade on the New Brunswick Provincial Advisory Committee for Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour; a team member of the Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization project for the Atlantic Apprenticeship Curriculum Standard; and a regular contributor to the development of Red Seal Occupational Standards (RSOS) and examinations for RACM.
Ellefsen also actively promotes the RACM trade locally and internationally.
He is involved in Skills New Brunswick competitions. He was also involved in a Canadian International Development Agency project for developing a Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Centre of Excellence at the Universidad de Cienfuegos in Cuba.
With his educational skills and knowledge, along with decades of trades experience in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning industry, Eric delivers a meaningful and engaging trades program at NBCC. His passion for the trade inspires apprentices and tradespersons to have pride in the RACM trade.
