A community college in southern Ontario is the recipient of a significant financial award that it plans to use to rehabilitate its welding training facilities. Lambton College in Sarnia, Ont., will receive a $400,000 donation from Imperial Oil, the ExxonMobil subsidiary that is Canada’s largest petroleum company, which college officials report they will use to modernize the 40-year-old welding shop, so students may train with better equipment in a safer surroundings.

It’s also hoped that better-skilled workers will benefit local industries. "We believe supporting the technical skills of our young people is important to the economic growth of our community," said Imperial Oil's Sarnia refinery plant manager Peter Vandenborne, at a news conference.

The shop was built in 1969, and the new investment will expand the facility, as well as afford new laboratory testing equipment. The welding shop is used to train students in chemical production and power engineering, mechanical and industrial maintenance, and various apprenticeship programs.

"This is a very, very exciting upgrade," according to the college’s professor of welding technology, Brian Beaubien. "It's my hope that after the refurbishment we can offer pressure vessel welding (TSSA) certification."

Imperial Oil’s Sarnia operation is an integrated fuels, lubricating oil, and chemicals manufacturing and petroleum center. The refinery can process about 120,000 barrels/day of crude oil, converting it into heating fuel, petroleum, and lubricants. The chemical plant produces various by-products used as raw materials for other manufacturing purposes. And, the Sarnia Research Centre conducts customer support programs.

Over 200 Lambton College graduates have been hired by Imperial Oil to work at Sarnia or other sites in the past four years, according to the company.

"We're strong believers in giving back to the communities where we operate and we're delighted our funding will be used to make a difference to young people and their education," said Paul Sabatini, Sarnia chemical plant manager and a Lambton College Foundation board member.