It was a high-powered event for Lakeland College at this year’s Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Branch awards banquet in Edmonton on April 8.
Lakeland instructor Randy Hobbis received the Top Instructor (North) award, and recent Lakeland apprenticeship graduates Catherine Rumjan and Claude Forseille were named Alberta’s top student apprentices in the parts technician and heavy equipment technician (off road) training programs respectively.
This is the fourth consecutive year that a student who took apprenticeship technical training at Lakeland received a major award from the provincial apprenticeship training branch.
The award is presented to the person who achieves the highest overall mark in their final period of training and receives a strong recommendation from their employer.
For Rumjan, who began her training at the age of 36 and is a mother of three, the award is recognition for hard work, determination and a commitment to the field and her employer. She works for Finning Canada Ltd. in Fort McMurray.
When she joined the company in 2005 she worked in the company’s warehouse at its Mildred Lake site. She eventually worked her way to secure a parts technician position and began her apprenticeship training at Lakeland College in 2008.
“I really enjoyed my training experience at Lakeland. I was also very happy to hear that Randy Hobbis received the Top Instructor award,” says Rumjan. “His tests were challenging but they prepared us well for the provincial and Red Seal exams. At the job site, there are often times when I encounter a certain situation that I think back to how Randy would have explained it. He just had a certain way with his students.”
Forseille, Lakeland’s second student winner, is also a very deserving award winner, says Lakeland instructor Don Henry. “Claude was a pleasure to have as a student on campus,” says Henry. “He was excellent with fluid power (hydraulics) and because he works at a limestone mine, he contributed some very interesting information during class about the unique maintenance problems that could occur in that type of mine.”
While he was a student, Forseille lived in the campus’s residence village during the week and travelled home to Hinton for weekends. Forseille is employed with Leigh Inland Cement at the Cadomin Quarry near Hinton, Alta.
This is the second time a Lakeland instructor has received the top instructor provincial award. It recognizes excellence in classroom instruction and commitment to apprentices.
For Hobbis, the award was very unexpected. “I was very surprised when I received the letter notifying me about the award. Of course, we all try to do a good job in the classroom but when a student takes the time to submit a formal nomination, as an instructor, it makes the recognition even more special and appreciated,” says Hobbis.
And while the award may have been a surprise to Hobbis, his students are quick to pinpoint several ways that make him an effective instructor.
Kelly Wagner, who completed her training at Lakeland in December and who nominated Hobbis for the award, explains. “Randy is very deserving of the Top Instructor Award as he was instrumental in helping me and other students achieve journeyman tickets,” says Wagner. “His classroom has a great atmosphere and I looked forward to going to class every day. Nominating him for the award was just a small way to say thanks for everything he has done for me and for others.”
Marc Bennett, who also completed his training in December and is employed in Lloydminster at First Truck Centre, echoes Wagner’s sentiments. “Randy is very patient with his students and has a naturally optimistic attitude towards them and his job. It really shows,” says Bennett. “As a student, I really appreciated that he recognized my efforts and made me feel good about it. He has a great sense of humour. He takes the time to explain concepts and ensures that his students know them well. His previous field experience, his natural way of teaching students, his ability to make course material relevant, and his knowledge of the community and industry prepared us well for our exams and careers.”
Hobbis joined Lakeland as an instructor in 1986 and helped develop and build the parts technician program together with colleagues Ron Smith (now retired) and Chris Noster. He stays current on industry trends and developments and is currently incorporating the new province-wide parts technician learning modules into the training program. He also is part of a provincial individual learning module peer review group.
Another special moment at the apprenticeship awards banquet occurred when Morgan Rockenbach, a 1997 Lakeland alum, received the Chairman’s Award of Excellence. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to their trades and to the principles of apprenticeship through service in the industry network system.
During his acceptance speech, Rockenbach acknowledged and thanked Hobbis, one of his former instructors, for his contributions to the field and to his career.
Two other Lakeland trades instructors, Bob Cameron (welding) and Curtis Cassibo (carpentry), were also nominated for top instructor awards this year.
Lakeland's Randy Hobbis and Catherine Rumjan stand with Annette Trimbee, assistant deputy minister from Alberta Advanced Education & Technology, and Raymond Massey, chairman of the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Branch at the awards banquet in Edmonton on April 8.
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