Thursday, October 20, 2005 04:03 AM

It can only be described as the show piece of the CNC facilities

The John Brink Trades and Technology Centre.

Buoyed by a grant of $250,000 .00 by Brink Forest Products and John Brink, the former Canadian Tire building has been transformed into a leading educational facility in the central and Northern part of BC.

Both Steve Raper, Manager of Marketing and Enrollment services and Randy Chencharik, Facilities Planning and Development, said they are proud to be a part of this new facility.

Raper says "We have grown from serving the immediate areas at CNC to a point where our market area is now west to the Queen Charlotte Islands and north to the Yukon. We have at CNC about 125 foreign students attending class and that speaks to our international presence."

Bought for just over $3 million dollars and renovated at a cost of nearly $3.5 million, the old Canadian Tire building is hardly recognizable.

The main hallway of the new building is awash in light from three major skylights

The building has been completely gutted, sky lights have been added. The entire space has been re built to accommodate class rooms and instructional shops.

Automotives, Electronics, Electrical and Carpentry are being taught in the new facility.

Is there a demand for the trades?

" Oh Yes" says Steve Raper, "We have for example 100 students trying to get one of the 16 seats available in the welding program."

"There has been quite a change" he said "over the past five or six years on how people view the trades. "

Facilities Planning and Development rep Randy Chencharik, says there is a real bonus in developing an education in trades "You can go anywhere in the world if you have a trade and you can’t say that about all professions."

Most of the trades being taught in the facility are one year programs, meaning that in one year, students become very employable.

Electrician hopefuls work in a wiring lab

"We are finding" said Raper "that we tend to attract students from rural areas who do not wish to go to major cities to learn their trade or upgrade their schooling. Sometimes, the jump from the small town to the major city is too great and the students and their parents know this."

Both believe that is one of the reasons why CNC is attracting students from not only around the entire north of BC and neighboring jurisdictions,but also international students who see the benefit in smaller classes and more rural surroundings.

Facilities Planning and Development spokesman, Randy Chencharik points out some of the features of the carpentry shop to Opinion250's Ben Meisner, while Marketing and Enrollment Manager Steve Raper looks on

It is very much a "hands on" style of education, with special features built in to the facility. The carpentry shop for example has a plywood floor, so projects can be screwed to the floor for finishing, then, as the floor needs changing can be lifted , as needed, one sheet of plywood at a time .

Carpentry students take notes

Are they well positioned for the future? "Of course we are, we are watching a growing need for trades people." says Raper " And CNC is becoming known more and more as the place to go."

The grand opening for the John A. Brink Trades and Technology Centre is Monday at 3p.m.

Raper and Chencharik show Opinion 250's Ben Meisner the 5200 square feet the facility has for future development, perhaps a plumbing program?