Western Canada Oil Sands Career Education Program 2015

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in the recent Western Canada Oil Sands Career Education Program as hosted by an incredible team of professionals at Inside Education.  This was an incredible learning opportunity from my perspective as a Career Development Consultant for the Sun West School Division.  

Heading into this experience, I had some preconceived notions and ideas as to what the oil sands were all about.  During the tour and through interactions with industry professionals, I learned much about occupations within the sector, confirmed some beliefs, and dispelled some misconceptions.

The welcome evening and Day 1 were jam-packed with meaningful activities and interactions.  I very much appreciated the time and energy people dedicated to our Oils Sands 101 presentation and our morning sessions at the Sawridge Inn which included a welcome to Wood Buffalo from Mayor Melissa Blake, a presentation on Living and Working in the North by Kim Pinnock, an Oil Sands and the Economy session by Alberto Benzo, an Economic Outlook with Jeff Gaulin, and Opportunities Beyond Extraction with Amit Saxena.  This was followed by an incredible afternoon with hosts Leithan Slade and Ashley MacDougal from Syncrude as we toured the corporate office and mining operation followed by an outdoor Careers in Reclamation session with Sabrina Pelley and friends from Suncor. We spent the evening watching the election results and cheering for the Jays while engaging in meaningful career-related discussions with educators from across Western Canada.  How wonderful!

Day 2 involved a bus tour to Conklin where we toured Devon Jackfish and learned about In-Situ developments.  I definitely did not envision camp to be as remarkable as it was.  In hearing stories from employees, it seems like a ‘home-away-from-home’ for many of the workers.  I had a fairly solid understanding as to the trade-related jobs that would be necessary in this type of industry, but I was surprised by all of the other occupations needed to run the business – much like running an entire community!  Sleeping at the Civeo Camp was a great way to end the day…a unique experience.

Day 3 involved travel to Lac La Biche with fantastic fast and furious PD Sessions dubbed “speed dating” with a number of presenters from organizations including Portage College, Careers NextGen, Work Wild, Woodland Operations Learning Foundation,  as well as a final wrap up by Inside Education.  Before departing, participants engaged in a Think-Pair-Share activity reflection activity.  It was difficult to say ‘farewell’.

What did I learn?
I learned about the Oil Sands, how to separate Bitumen from oil sand (and even got a sample of Oil Sand to take home to show my family, students, colleagues!).  I appreciated learning the difference between Mining and In-Situ operations.  As well, I was particularly surprised by the wide-range of related occupations within the oil sands industry.  It was great to learn all of this first-hand, but I am also thankful for the awesome Inside Education Oil Sands videos related to these learnings:
What are the Oil Sands?
Mining
In-Situ
Meeting the Challenges
(These videos are led by young people!)

What was the most memorable experience?
The entire experience was memorable, but I am most thankful for the opportunity to connect with the Inside Education team and Career Educators from across Western Canada.  We learned much about occupations available within the Oil Sands as well as current successes and challenges.  As well, we were able to network and share best-practices, successes and challenges in relation to supporting students with the career development process with career educators across our provinces.  Awesome!

Was there an a-ha moment?
I experienced many ‘a-ha’ moments; especially in relation to consideration for First Nations communities and the sustainability of our environment.

How do I plan to share with teachers/students?
I plan to share my learnings with my team of Career Development Teachers, my Consultant/Coach counterparts, colleagues within my provincial association, and students.

There are a wealth of resources produced by Inside Education to share with teachers/students interested in learning more about the oil sands including:

Oil Sands Field Trip – Video series provide a tour of northern Alberta’s oil sands

Petroleum Field Trip – This video series guides students through behind the scenes oil and gas development.

Voices of the Boreal – Video series outlines the varied and dynamic careers in the boreal forest

Petroleum Poster – Digital poster and teachers guide provide information and activities to learn about petroleum

For some highlights of our Western Canada Oil Sands Tour:

• Photo Album – Inside Education Staff were acting like paparazzi during the tour! Follow the link to see our work on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/insideeducation/albums/72157660169239802

• Slide Show – The Slideshow Inside Education Created and played for participants at the close of our tour can be found at:  https://vimeo.com/143282099 
• Twitter – Follow #InsidePD for information on Inside Education and some moments captured during our Western Canada Oil Sands experience.

Learning to drive a logging vehicle using a simulator. Kind of like playing a video game.

Reporting to duty at Devon Jackfish!

Mining operation at Syncrude

One of the “Giants” – I discovered that almost everything to do with the Oil Sands is large scale! You should see the trucks – basically the size of a house!

Learning about Reclamation processes and opportunities in the Oil Sands.

Living quarters at Devon Jackfish. What an amazing facility! I think I could even work here as there is such a multitude of occupations.

For Inside Education Teacher Professional Development Experiences, watch their website for updates at:  insideeducation.ca/teacher-professional-development.