Instrumentation apprentices stymied, as CNA seeks instructor

It has been a waiting game for instrumentation students at the College of the North Atlantic who are aiming to finish their program, as the college struggles to find an instructor.

Kerry Lethbridge is a third-year instrumentation apprentice and until CNA's Seal Cove campus finds a new instructor, she won't be able to become a journeyperson.

All we can really do now is wait until we get a new instructor or try and transfer our credits.- Kerry Lethbridge

"Supposedly, it takes anywhere from four to five years to complete an apprenticeship and become a journeyperson," Lethbridge told CBC News Tuesday.

"There are a lot of apprentices out there that are waiting to get into school and get their hours, get their block training and eventually write their exam, but we can't right now."

Lethbridge estimates there are about 12 other apprentices in the same situation as her, adding the Seal Cove campus is the only one in the province offering instrumentation blocks.

Waiting game

​"All we can really do now is wait until we get a new instructor or try and transfer our apprenticeship to another province," she said.

As the province deals with a dipping economy, Lethbridge is in the fortunate position of having a job in Long Harbour.

However, without her next block, Lethbridge said she won't be able to move up the pay scale.

"Right now I'm stuck earning the same amount until I can get in and go to school."

According to a statement from CNA, the call for students to start the next block for Instrumentation Control Technician (ICT) apprenticeship training was cancelled in September 2015 because the faculty position was vacant, "despite ongoing recruitment efforts."

Then, in February, Lethbridge received a call the courses were available again.

Instructor recruitment

But one week before class started, CNA notified students that due to unforeseen circumstances, the instructor they had wasn't able to be employed with the college.

It has been vacant ever since.

"College of the North Atlantic continues to make every effort to recruit a replacement instructor so that it can reschedule and offer ICT block training at the Seal Cove campus," a CNA spokesperson said in a statement.

However, Lethbridge figures the college could use one of the three instructors who teach the nine-month introduction to instrumentation at campuses across the province.

"I think that would be a good solution because people could still offer the nine-month course, just have … bigger classes and they will still get people through the block classes and on to fourth-year apprentices."

If the issue continues, Lethbridge said she could try and work enough hours to "challenge her exam" — in other words, become a journeyperson without completing the apprenticeship blocks.