Parts apprentice wins provincial award

Lakeland College apprentice, Mason Mehl, was recognized as the province's top parts technician apprentice and was one of only 58 apprentices to receive a 2015 Top Apprentice Award.

Presented by the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education, Mehl was honoured at the annual Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board Awards on April 15. This marks the eighth time a Lakeland parts technician apprentice has won this provincial award.

To achieve his goal of becoming a parts technician, Mehl enrolled in Lakeland’s apprenticeship program. He completed three periods of technical training at the Vermilion campus as well as the required 4,500 hours of on-the-job training.

Alberta’s annual Top Apprentice Award honours apprentices in each trade who achieved the highest overall marks in their final period of training, and received strong employer recommendations.

“It was pretty incredible at Lakeland to see that the instructors weren’t only willing to help you succeed but, on top of that, they were willing to help you excel. They wanted to see everyone reach their full potential not only at college but in life,” says Mason Mehl.

“This is a well-deserved accomplishment for Mason and we are quite proud of him. Mason would be in class studying an hour before class started. He’s a personable, skilled and top-notch journeyman,” says Randy Hobbis, Lakeland College instructor.

Photos: Top, Mason Mehl credits Rocky Mountain Equipment – his employer of 10 years – and Lakeland College for supporting him throughout his apprenticeship. Bottom, Mehl (centre) accepted the 2015 Top Apprentice Award for the parts technician category in April from the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education.