At Malaspina College in Nanaimo I proceeded out into the stockyard and encountered this.
It is a completed Aluminium-hull boat for a scientific research organisation at the North end of Vancouver Island, built at the college * BY THE LECTURERS AND STUDENTS? *.
One can get an optimistic feeling from seeing the BC welding program in action. As this is broadly representative (other colleges had other activities and projects), I provide more details, which carry forward this positive sentiment.
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Al-MIG welding
Twin-hull design can be seen |
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Commercial crane-arm installed on deck
(Al welding workshop in background extends all along stockyard to LHS) |
| Charitable organisation gets boat; college students get career-developing experience |
It is fairest to comment - Malaspina College has an [[Aluminum Boat Building]] program.
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Light aside - "bathtub racing". Powerful outboard motor and absurd
courses across of Strait of Georgia. Bit like "Star Wars" "Pod
racing" but competitors generally survive - albeit spitting out
seawater and a bit roughed-up.
UK colleges try to have some fun - some do dirt-track go-kart racing, building their own karts and taking them to competitions |
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More seriously.
Each toolbox represents a student. As students are in for blocks of time (5days/week full-time), at this college each gets assigned a toolbox with tools, returned at the end. |
Next - what is the progression rate of trainees through the course, given such a large syllabus...