Although there is plenty of work yet to be completed, the construction of the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute is continuing at a steady pace.
Members of the media were provided with a tour and update on the ETI's progress Thursday as part of MP Ed Komarnicki's tour of the facility.
Jason Johnston, the recently hired director of business development for the Southeast Regional College and one of the men directly involved with the project, said he is impressed with the progress that has been made by Quorex Construction, the firm that is building the ETI.
"We're really excited about the potential of the building. We are going to be able to build a legacy for the community of Estevan, the college and the community at large," said Johnston.
"The construction crews right now are focusing on the two large cylinders that make up the architectural structure. As well as the masonry, there are steel-stud people on site and they are working on ensuring that those large internal structures are in place and getting heat on, that is a big deal for pouring concrete."
Johnston estimates that by the end of March, the ETI will be over 90 per cent enclosed and there will some form of temporary heat on site. He also remains confident they will meet their new completion deadline of October 31 which has been mandated by the federal government after an extension was granted in late 2010.
"As of today, things are on schedule. We will have to see how long the break-up is in the spring, that can impact some of the sub-contractors but for the most part we are pretty confident that we will be on schedule for October 31."
"That will lead up to break up when the mud will get upon us and that will be important for us to have the work turned inside until it dries up and then the rest of the outside will be completed after that."
Johnston joined the regional college roughly two months ago after leaving the Gabriel Dumont Institute in Saskatoon. He is excited about the potential of the ETI and working with the various people who are part of the project's present and future.
"In the two months that I have been here it has been absolutely outstanding," he said. "It's outstanding how we can all come together and have a project like this come to fruition in a short period of time."
Along with working on construction of the facility, college officials have been busy setting the curriculum of courses that will be offered at the ETI. Johnston said the curriculum is 90 per cent complete and they have settled on what classes will be offered in the fall.
"We are going offer office education with a bit of a spin for people that work in the oil and gas sector," Johnston said. "We are going to offer an electrician and a power engineering course that the college currently offers; it will just change locations within the region and it will end up being housed here at the Energy Training Institute.
"In the fall of 2012 we will be up to 100 per cent with our instrumentation lab that will be one of the most advanced in technology in the country. We are working with some significant stakeholders in Canada including some colleges in Alberta to support us on that and we are very proud of all our industry being a part of our college to help that come to fruition."
