A group of students in Residential and Commercial Drafting went out on a field trip, along with teacher Martine Beaulieu, to visit B&X Industries in Valleyfield. The idea behind the excursion was for the students to see first-hand how employees in the field manage their daily tasks. Some of the expertise the students witnessed included the manufacturing of cyclones, pressure vessels, hoppers, transfer lines, heat exchangers, fractionating towers, petrochemical columns and dust collectors. Although it is not “residential” per se, the use of AutoCad tools is a must, which is something our students are trained in extensively.
Comments from the students:
”It’s amazing for me to visit the place. Before visiting the company, I thought that drafting was just the thing I studied in, if someone asked me what does a drafter on a day-to-day basis, I didn’t know what to say, but after today, something changed.”
”I also realized that a drafter should be very organized. It is interesting to visit a factory, and see and match the real objects and the ones in the drawing.”
”I was very appreciative about this exciting visit. When I came into that factory, I felt that I entered a totally different world. It was really interesting.”
“The visit is interesting and impressive. When I was in Shanghai, I had no chance to visit an industry like that. Employees are very nice and patient to introduce everything to us.”
“We got to learn what we’d never would have known, so it was exactly the right timing to go there, perfect!”
Ms Beaulieu added that as a teacher, she appreciated the hosts being able to communicate the human side of the trade, and the way they interacted with the students with familiar vocabulary. The passion was obvious.
And that’s what we are all about.