Dow Canada investment promotes student success

A $1,050,000 gift from Dow Canada will support student success and campus expansion. Dow’s investment includes $800,000 for NAIT’s Centre for Applied Technologies and $250,000 to sponsor a biennial seminar at NAIT showcasing the field of power engineering.

“We are thrilled to receive this gift from our longstanding partner Dow,” said NAIT President and CEO Dr. Glenn Feltham. “The Centre for Applied Technologies is essential for our growth as a leading polytechnic. The power engineering technology seminar complements our hands-on education, showing students the many opportunities for applying their skills in meaningful careers.”

The Centre for Applied Technologies, under construction at Main Campus, will enrich the learning experiences of 5,000 full-time students daily when complete. The additional space will also enable NAIT to increase enrolment by 50 per cent in health, business, engineering technologies, and sustainable building and environmental management programs.

Power Engineering Technology, part of the School of Sustainable Building and Environmental Management, is one of the most in-demand programs at NAIT. Graduates work as operators or managers for power and heating plants, as consultants with engineering firms and as boiler and pressure vessel inspectors.

“We’re pleased to support campus expansion at NAIT and the Power Engineering Technology program,” said Joe Deutscher, Dow’s vice president and site director Alberta operations. “Our Dow Fort Saskatchewan site hires power engineering technicians and tradespeople almost exclusively from NAIT. With an economy set to expand at an average annual rate of 4.7 per cent, we need to be visible as an employer of choice to remain competitive in the marketplace. At Dow, we provide NAIT graduates with opportunities to grow their careers at both the local and global levels.”

The Dow Chemical Company’s more than 6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 countries across the globe. Dow Canada which has been operating for more than 70 years, manufactures basic chemicals and plastics used to make products in many sectors including personal care, transportation, health care and home construction. With headquarters in Calgary, Dow Canada, together with its affiliates, has manufacturing locations in Fort Saskatchewan and Prentiss, Alberta; West Hill, Ontario and Varennes, Quebec.

About NAIT
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is a leading Canadian polytechnic, delivering education in science, technology and the environment; business; health and trades. With more than 60,000 credit and non-credit students and a 98 per cent employer satisfaction rate, NAIT grads are essential to Alberta’s prosperity. Known for hands-on, technology-based learning, NAIT engages with business and industry in applied research and innovation and provides corporate training around the world. Recognized as one of Alberta’s top employers, NAIT provides outstanding returns on investment for its graduates, partners, the provincial government and the people of Alberta.

Media inquiries:
Frank Landry
NAIT Media Relations
P 780.471.8450 C 780.916.8307 E flandry@nait.ca