Students in the automotive programs at Lethbridge College have received two new Ford vehicles allowing them to gain more hands-on training.
The college received a 2020 Ford Expedition and a 2020 Ford F-150, which will be used as an opportunity for students to train with some of the latest automotive technology available.
“We’re proud to be able to provide a couple of new Ford vehicles to Lethbridge College and its automotive program,” says Gary Dunlop, president of Dunlop Ford. “We’re really pleased to be part of this contribution and partnership with Ford Motor Company of Canada to give the students an opportunity to work on some new vehicles with the latest technology, so it’s a win-win for everybody involved.”
The two vehicles are new, but have previously been involved in a flood damage claim stemming from the Fort McMurray flood in 2020. They have gone through minor repairs along with a cleaning before arriving to campus.
Students will begin to start working on the new vehicles later this month. Dunlop says the advancements in technology over the last 10 years has been amazing and being able to provide the college with new vehicles will allow students to work on the latest features, including connectivity.
“I think every component of the vehicle is different whether it be the suspension, brakes or the connectivity of the engines or even the transmission. Everything has changed over the past 10 years. I think it’s going to be huge and a rare [opportunity] for them to be working on the latest engines, transmissions and electronic components on a 2020 vehicle.”
Sheldon Anderson, Dean of the Centre of Trades says buying new vehicles can be difficult within the budget, however the donation will help programs now and for the future.
“If you look at the total value of these vehicles, for us to keep current in all of our trades is a huge capital demand and whenever we can get support from industry it, really helps us to train on the newest and greatest things.”
Ford Motor Company of Canada has donated around 30 vehicles to different institutions across Canada. The partnership is also providing the college with access to the Ford ACE Program, a web-based training program for students to obtain knowledge of Ford vehicle systems.
“We’re really proud to be partners with the college on this program, the college has really been great for our business here in Lethbridge,” added Dunlop. “We have quite a number of students that have come through the program that are still employed with us, so we’re really pleased to be part of this contribution today.”
Lethbridge College offers an automotive service technician apprenticeship training and the automotive systems program, both of which will be using the two donated vehicles.
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