Community project works for Lambton students

          Last Saturday I had the pleasure of speaking at the grand opening of the children's train station here at Canatara Park In Sarnia. The reason that I, the Associate Dean of Apprenticeship and Trades Training, was asked to speak is the apprentices built the train station. Now of course this project does not come together by the students simply showing up to preform the work. There were many community partners involved who supplied the materials and of course the train that now stays inside the beautiful little station they built.And the work would not have been completed without the dedication and engagement of the truly remarkable faculty and staff that we have at the Skilled Trades Training Centre at Lambton College. They all have an equal share in the project but I want to speak about the students.
           The students, to be exact the Intermediate Carpentry Apprenticeship intake for fall of 2013, are always what any of these types of projects are about for Lambton College. These type of projects give the students an opportunity to put into practice those skills that they have been taught and on a real life project. As well, it is much nicer for the students to be able to step back and look at the completed train station and gain a better understanding of the interconnection of each process in building. The hope is that they will also remember this project with pride that they had a hand in building and maybe they will be drawn to participate in community projects in the future.
          The day was great. It was bright and sunny at the park with a number of small children gathered around. Of course all of the donors, the Mayor of Sarnia as well as a bunch of the students and the faculty who actually built the station.With the speeches all complete, the red ribbon was cut and the door opened and out came the new little train. The children all ran with joy to get aboard for a ride. The children all loaded and away they went on the first ride of many for all of them over the course of the summer I am sure.
         After the train left a group of us entered the station to have a look at the inside. Included in that group was four or five of the students. These students were a little different then the rest of the group as they did not have families and had not brought along some small child who wanted to get a ride on the train. This group are young, mid twenty year old guys who came out and wanted to look at what they had accomplished. As they looked around and received handshakes and pats on the backs from a number of people it happened. It happened so fast it surprised me as I did not even know or suspect that it was coming. They all got the deeper point of them completing the project. In a matter of 60 seconds the idea was born, formed and put directly into action and I felt warm inside.
         As the conversation died down one of the students turned to the rest and said that they should have a committee at the union hall and be more involved in these types of projects all the time. From that statement came the ascent from his fellow class mates and a commitment form the local carpenters union(they were there as one of the donor's) and a committee was formed on the spot with a quick set of what types of projects they would look at participating in. It happened so fast that before I knew it, I was agreeing to sit on that committee as an adviser. It was a great feeling knowing that this group of young men came to Lambton College to obtain their level in apprenticeship training and based on the project that they participated in with us, they are now changed, for the better and will have a positive impact on the life's of others in our community. 
        The project worked.

Jeff