Southland Trailer donates air compressor for Catholic Central

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on September 29, 2022.

Ashton Ervin, maintenance manager with Southland Trailer, presents CCH teacher Lance Rosen with the donated air compressor. Submitted photo

Catholic Central High School West Campus has received a new air compressor from Southland Trailer Corp. thanks to an initiative through the company and teacher Lance Rosen.

When the school’s previous air compressor was deemed unsuitable for the work required in the current pre-engineering/welding classes, Southland Trailers stepped up and donated the gift.

Refurbishing, delivering, and installing the new compressor, the parts and labour amounted to around a $12,000 donation towards helping provide students with a greater learning opportunity in the trade fields.

“The initiative we are looking at, is trying to get our youth aware and make sure they know that it is okay to get in the trade background,” said Ashton Ervin, maintenance manager with Southland Trailer. “It is good knowledge for them, because going the way of trades backgrounds, you can start with your trades ticket and you are always going to have that backup. Plus, if you want to go to university down the road, you can use your trade ticket to pay for your university schooling while you are going to school. It is important for kids to know that they can make this choice and it can really help them in their future.”

Working on that awareness, Southland Trailers will be giving an in-house tour of its facilities with the students of CCH on October 19. Students will get a chance to see the facilities while fully operational, giving them a chance to do some hands-on work and see how a trailer is built from raw material.

Joanne Polec, principal at CCH, notes these initiatives with community partnerships are important for student’s education, because it allow schools to keep programs alive and not limit the education they provide.

“Due to cuts, general and staffing, things can start to feel tight in the classroom. To have a partnership with a business organization like Southland Trailers, allows us to continue to provide that standard of excellence that we are known for in education and opportunities, opening the doors for kids,” said Polec. “Without partnership and support, it becomes very difficult to sustain an expensive initiative. Welding supplies in general aren’t cheap, equipment can cost upwards of $10,000. We rely on the partnerships and donations from various different city partners that we have.

Commending Rosen, Polec says teachers like him keep programs alive with their go-getter attitudes that work with community and business to keep opportunities for future in the student’s hands, while adding in the past he has always worked hard to make sure the interest of the kids is at heart.

“While I’m teaching the required Alberta curriculum, I can also teach students the industry standard skills that they need towards this work,” said Rosen. “It’s a great partnership because I’m also staying industry standard and getting students ready to be hired from my class. It’s cool to see a student with no experience come into my class and get exposed to this new experience. It has the potential to change the trajectory of their lives. In the last five years a couple of students, who have never thought this would be a career path for them, have fallen in love with the trade and pursued it.”

Working with community stakeholders in education, CCH and the Holy Spirit School Division have worked with initiatives to expand student’s learning opportunities and broadening education to all fields.

“We are moving to expansion, not just welding. The more partners that we have in our community to give back through these programs, the less susceptible they are to being cut. We do welcome those opportunities to work with our community stakeholders,” said Polec.