You won't find Donald Trump supervising this version of The Apprentice.

But you will find a $90'-million construction project geared to augment the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's (NAIT) ability to meet an ever-increasing demand for skilled apprenticeship training.

Through a four-phase, multi-year program, NAIT will erect three new buildings and expand a fourth facility, all under the umbrella of NCAT - the NAIT Centre for Apprenticeship Technologies.

Currently running at all-out capacity - NAIT expects to turn out 10,600 apprentices in the 2005-06 academic year - NCAT is now bursting at the seams.

Illustration courtesy of NAIT
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's expansion includes the Spartan Controls Centre for Process Control and Instrumentation, above, and the Waiward Steel Centre for Steel Technologies, below.

"The walls are (literally) bulging," says Dave Roberts, NAIT's dean of mechanical and manufacturing technologies. Referring to the 10,600 students currently in the apprenticeship program, Roberts points out that this takes them beyond the facility's original design by about 20 per cent.

"Some of our labs and teaching facilities are working triple shifts. These labs and facilities were designed in 1962, when the institute was (first) built and opened."

To ease the burden, NAIT will add one building to its main downtown Edmonton campus, another to its west Edmonton campus, erect a new one in Grande Prairie, and is also expanding its apprenticeship training abilities at its south Edmonton grounds.

The four-phase program is being bolstered by $40 million in funding from the provincial government, enabling NAIT to expand its apprenticeship training capacity by 35 per cent annually once the entire project is completed.

"That will take us to 12,500 apprentices every year and that number is conservative," says George Andrews, NAIT's vice-president of external relations, noting that NAIT's strong usage of technology could take that number higher.

Phase 1, the $40-million NAIT Spartan Controls Centre for Process Control and Instrumentation and the Centre for Millwright Technology, is already underway on the main campus. The 145,000-sq.-ft., three-storey building is scheduled to open in August 2007. The architects are The Cohos Evamy Partners with construction by Stuart Olson. Apprenticeship training will focus on millwrights and instrumentation technicians.

Phase 2, at $17 million, is the NAIT Waiward Steel Centre for Steel Technologies, located at its south Edmonton Souch campus.

The centre will come online in August 2006 (before Phase 1) as it represents an addition to an existing structure. The 45,000-sq.-ft. expansion off Calgary Trail will provide technical training for the following trades: Boilermaker, ironworker, structural steel and platefitter, and welder.

The one-floor building, however, will be as tall as 10 metres in places in order to accommodate overhead cranes.

The Workun Garrick Partnership is providing the architecture while Carlson Projects North is responsible for the construction.

Illustration courtesy of NAIT
Waiward Steel Centre for Steel Technologies.

Phase 3, at NAIT's westend Patricia campus, will be home to the NAIT Centre for Piping Systems Technologies.

Still in the planning stages, the centre, which will provide training for insulators, plumbers and steamfitters-pipefitters, is expected to total about 50,000 sq. ft.

Construction is slated to begin in May 2007 and be completed by August 2008. Design and construction teams haven't been finalized.

Phase 4, in Grande Prairie, is also scheduled for an August 2008 opening date. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2007.

It will be located on a portion of 22.7 acres on NAIT-owned property and will concentrate on training for electricians, instrument technicians, millwrights and sawfilers.

Again, design and construction choices are still being finalized.

The NCAT expansions were originally expected to total about $63.8 million, but labour and materials shortages, along with a larger-than-expected facility in Grande Prairie, are responsible for the higher cost, says Andrews.

Andrews says part of the reason that NAIT is moving forward with four projects as opposed to one central apprenticeship training facility is the amount of land required and the nature of the training, which requires different types of structures.

"It's also more cost effective for people to be trained in their own community," Andrews adds.

To cover the additional costs, NAIT is hopeful industry will provide about $50 million in funding.

To date, Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd. has contributed $1 million for the Souch campus project, and Spartan Controls has kicked in $3 million to the main campus undertaking.

And in the largest donation ever to NAIT by a union, The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 720 donated $250,000 for the Waiward Steel centre's ironworker program expansion.

NAIT currently trains 19 per cent of all the trades in Canada and about 57 per cent of the trades in Alberta.

Ron Kachman, dean of the school of electrical and electronics technology at NAIT, says part of the reason for the increased demand for apprentices is a strong economy.

But demographics are also a factor, he notes.

"It's the demographics of an aging workforce that are driving this skill shortage as much as anything. Lots of trades are going to be leaving the workforce and they've got to be replaced," says Kachman.

The technical college serves more than 60,000 customers annually and the six Fairview College campuses - Fairview, Peace River, Grande Prairie, High Level, La Crete and St. Albert - became northern extensions of NAIT in July 2004.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)