Grundfos Canada will contribute $12,500 over the next five years to Kwantlen Polytechnic University‘s (KPU) plumbing apprenticeship program to update and enhance classroom equipment and purchase additional learning materials. Through its technical school initiative, Grundfos will also share real-world experience with students through in-class lectures and presentations. The pump and pumping system manufacturer launched the technical school initiative in 2011 with the dual objective of supporting student talent and developing its potential workforce.
“Grundfos Canada was impressed with Kwantlen Polytechnic University‘s innovative and professional programs,” said Simon Feddema, general manager of Grundfos Canada. “We look forward to partnering with the school in the years ahead as we together work on developing the next generation of trade professionals.”
KPU Tech – the university’s Cloverdale, BC, trades and technology campus – offers three levels of plumbing apprenticeship training with a fourth level currently under development. The in-school training for each level is six weeks and includes a final exam. The pathway to becoming a plumber generally takes four years to complete to complete the training and achieve the necessary work experience. Plumping apprentices are eligible to write the Red Seal inter-provincial exam upon completion of their training and 6,420 work-experience hours.
Since it launched the Technical School Initiative in 2011 with NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology), Grundfos has extended its country-wide technical school initiative to include SAIT Polytechnic (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology), Mohawk College in Stoney Creek, ON and most recently KPU. The company expects to announce another addition to the initiative in the next few weeks.
