Colleges Announce Faculty Recognition for CARS IDL Technical Updating

At a recent meeting of the Canadian Association of Motive Power Educators (CAMPE) at Bathurst Community College, CAMPE’s Education Committee Co-chair, Ron Leontowicz of SIAST’s Kelsey Campus in Saskatoon made an announcement regarding a joint industry/college initiative that will see faculty at participating colleges gain recognition for participating in CARS’ Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) programming. A certificate of recognition will be based on several factors, including the levels and number of hours of participation.

The adoption of IDL by several hundred of Canada’s chain and independent repair facilities put in place a sophisticated training development and delivery system at CARS headquarters in Richmond Hill. This created an opportunity to distribute technical updating to college faculty using the existing satellite broadcast facilities. CARS IDL programming includes a broad range of subject matter at a variety of levels of complexity, such as EGR Systems and Engine Management Control Systems, for example. It also includes programming designed specifically to assist faculty with the use of industry-provided training aids in areas like ignition, fuel injection, computerized charging systems and OBD-II.

College faculty were initially skeptical of this innovative media and its content, but many of them have since expressed their satisfaction with the programming and, at the same time, their desire for formal recognition of their personal commitment to lifelong learning. Ron Leontowicz relayed his faculty’s desire to CARS. “While Canada’s education system has never had a problem recognizing our faculty’s academic upgrading, it has been really slow giving us similar support and encouragement for keeping technical skills and knowledge up to date” said Ron. CARS and several colleges have responded to this by developing a system that will provide joint recognition by industry (through CARS) and the college or institute at which the faculty member teaches.

A substantial part of CARS’ energies are expended in support of Canada’s publicly funded education system. This faculty recognition program is but one more indication of CARS longstanding commitment to that system. At a time when college budgets are facing ever-greater pressures, CARS feels its responsibility towards providing support for college faculty is even more important. CARS will continue to work with the colleges to ensure that training directed at faculty is relevant to their needs while addressing industry’s priority areas.