College Demos Automotive Virtual Reality Project and Wins People’s Choice Award
Belleville, Ontario, May 20, 2016 – Loyalist College second-year Manufacturing Engineering Technician student David Cameron won a silver medal in the Mechanical Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) competition at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC), which took place in Waterloo, Ontario, May 2 to 4. With more than 67 contests, 2,000 competitors and 20,000 spectators, the OTSC is Canada’s largest skilled trades competition. David was one of 10 students in Loyalist’s School of Applied Sciences, Skills & Technology who competed in categories, such as Auto Service Technology, Carpentry, Precision Machining, and Welding.
“It was extraordinary to win a silver medal,” said David Cameron, who has been hired as a full-time Mechanical CAD Technician with MKR Dental Cabinets in Trenton, Ontario. “I’ve obtained a great education at Loyalist and this was my chance to show what I could do. The Manufacturing Engineering Technician diploma program was tough but it prepared me for real-world situations, focusing on attention to detail, which is very important in this field.”
At the OTSC, Loyalist received the People’s Choice Award, selected by participants during the Career Exploration Showcase, an interactive career fair. Voted as having the best booth, the College received the most submissions from student spectators who used the hashtag #LoyalistCES2016 through social media outlets Twitter and Instagram. Over 70 businesses, colleges, apprenticeship programs, unions and government programs related to the skilled trades and technologies were represented.
At the Loyalist booth, spectators experienced the College’s new virtual automotive reality environment, which will be integrated into its Automotive Service Technician curriculum in Fall 2016. Wearing an Oculus Rift headset, students will learn by virtually disassembling and reassembling an automotive engine. Until now, virtual learning development efforts have been largely focused on immersive 3D spaces, accessed through a mouse and keyboard while sitting at a computer. However, the College’s emerging virtual reality technology provides opportunity for total immersion.
“Loyalist College is at the forefront of virtual reality training applications that simulate learners’ feelings of being in a real-world environment where they can safely interact and experiment,” said Ann Drennan, Dean of the School of Applied Sciences, Skills & Technology. “The OTSC was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our immersive multimedia innovations to future students and industry colleagues. I would like to congratulate David and all of our students who participated, and to thank our faculty and staff who were judges for various competitions.”
During OTSC, Loyalist also promoted The W. Garfield Weston Foundation Fellowship, introduced at the College in 2013 to help participants complete their skilled trades education with significant tuition and bursary incentives. It began as a three-year pilot project with a $240,000 commitment to provide financial support to 60 skilled trades students. Given the Fellowship’s success in encouraging students to complete skilled trades training, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation extended funding for another two years, bringing the total support to $520,000 for more than 130 students through the pilot program at Loyalist. The application for Fellowship programs starting in September 2016 is available at loyalistcollege.com/programs-and-courses/skilled-trades-and-technology. There are 40 post-secondary and 10 apprenticeship Fellowships available to be awarded in 2016.
About Loyalist College
We put you to work™. When it comes to grads getting jobs, 87.4 percent of the College’s most recent graduates found employment within six months of graduation compared to the provincial average of 83.6 percent, according to Provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released in April 2016. Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior student services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and the LEED® Silver certified Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. The College is a key driver of the social and economic health and prosperity of the area and contributes 5.4 percent to the Gross Regional Product. This represents an overall effect on the regional economy of $530 million – based on a 2014 Report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses, visit loyalistcollege.com.
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Media Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director of Marketing and Communications,
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2536