Business Stories
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
NAIT’s Spruce Grove Campus represents an important and historic partnership to enhance post-secondary education and business development opportunities in Alberta. Since its opening in 2016, the 160-acre campus and innovative 12,600-squarefoot facility has allowed the polytechnic institute to expand its popular Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator program to nearly double its former capacity, with the ability to accommodate over 500 apprentice students per year.
With seven cranes on site, the largest with an extension capability equivalent to a 16-storey building, the campus provides students with valuable hands-on learning. NAIT’s Spruce Grove campus employs some of the world’s most advanced technology and equipment, including cutting-edge classrooms and simulation labs to supplement on-site outdoor training. Its world-class facility has been instrumental in meeting the demand for boom truck and mobile crane operators in a wide variety of industries across Alberta and beyond, including construction, forestry, mining, and the oil and gas sector. Other NAIT programs, including the boilermaker, ironworker and steamfitter-pipefitter programs, also visit the campus to complete outcomes involving lifts and rigging, providing those students with additional relevant and real-world experiences.
“From the beginning, Spruce Grove was a perfect fit as the location for our new campus and a great partner in elevating the student experience,” says Laura Jo Gunter, NAIT president and CEO. “Over the years, that partnership has become stronger and deeper. We’ve expanded our relationships with the city, the surrounding county, and with local industry. It means a great deal to us to be part of this community.”
Additionally, NAIT’s Industry Solutions provides on-site and virtual corporate training for organizations that require custom training programs to upskill employees. Companies leverage NAIT’s expertise and resources to combine courses and programs that meet their specific training requirements.
Activities at the Spruce Grove campus have been transformative for NAIT, Spruce Grove, and Alberta, as well as creating opportunities to build on other programs related to the broader energy sector that are critical to the economy. As one of the largest apprenticeship trainers in Canada and a world-leading polytechnic, NAIT will continue to excel in delivering technology-based, hands-on training in partnership with industry to empower a highly skilled workforce into the future.