Provincial Funding Supports Research at Northern College's Kirkland Lake Campus

Northern College’s Innovation Hub is using provincial funding to enhance student work-integrated learning programs at the Kirkland Lake Campus. The Ontario Centre for Excellence has allocated $80,000 to eight Innovation Hub initiatives at Northern College. Half of this amount will be directed towards expanding experiential learning opportunities for trades and tech students in Kirkland Lake.

The funding will support applied research and business improvement projects, providing students with skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. This year, the focus is on third-year welding technology students at the Kirkland Lake Campus, covering materials, equipment, travel expenses, and wages for their research with private partners.

The funding aims to connect students with industry partners to develop new technologies, ultimately contributing to Ontario’s economic growth. Research areas include low energy welding processes, effectiveness of shielding gases, increasing deposition rates in submerged arc welding, and testing joint strength of fiber-reinforced plastics.

Joshua Fuller, Program Coordinator for Northern College’s School of Welding Engineering Technology, stated that the collaboration with industry partners allows students to apply their learning in real-world contexts and often leads to employment offers upon project completion.