An amazing array of local innovative technology and manufacturing companies, and schools offering educational paths to get to them, were on hand at the 8th Annual Tech Meet Up at Salmon Arm Secondary on Tuesday, January 11, 2025.
Students had the opportunity to talk with representatives of the innovative businesses and learn what they do, what types of careers there are that exist right in their region, and what educational skills are required.
One of these representatives was Janaya Swityk, a 2014 grad of Salmon Arm Secondary, who now works for 4AG Robotics, a company located in the Salmon Arm Industrial Park that combined artificial intelligence and robotics to build a robot that picks, trims and packs mushrooms!
As students stopped by the booth Swityk explained that labour shortages in the mushroom industry were a huge problem. 4AG Robotics looked at the problem and using artificial intelligence and technology looked at how to provide farmers with a robotic solution which would work with existing infrastructure. It took a bit of time but they developed an autonomous, mushroom harvesting robot which attaches to the farm's existing shelving so there isn't a need for infrastructure changes. The award-winning robots are now being used in Canada as well as far away as Australia and Ireland.
Swityk then showed the students what the robot looks like and how it works and talked about the career opportunities in the controls department, software, artificial intelligence, megatronics, and in the shop. She noted that company also does a university co-op program , where students come and work at the company in their area of study.
Over at another booth, students learned about Valid Manufacturing, also located in the Industrial Park, and the various engineering and technology careers available with this company. One of the representatives at the booth, Jamie Gilham, explained to students that there are many innovative products being created at Valid, including the Olympic Rings in Vancouver, the ice and snow clearing mechanisms for the cables of some lower mainland bridges, or the variable speed control signs on the Coquihalla Highway. They also design and build studio generators for the movie industry and mobile RCMP detachments for special events, complete with a jail!
Gilham noted that over 150 people work at Valid and one third of the employees are engineers. There are also computer technicians, fabricators, electrical technicians, and technologists - just to name a few. He explained they make industrial control systems, automotive control systems, robotics, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, mobile power generation and hybrid systems, sound suppression solutions, thermal analysis, structural design, custom sheet metal, and more.
USNR, located in in the Salmon Arm Industrial Park, is a comprehensive supplier of equipment and technologies for the wood processing industry. They supply systems, service and support for plants around the globe including the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries.
For the fifth year, Forsite Consultants, located in Salmon Arm, attended the Tech Meet Up. Richelle Parada, who is a mapper with the company, explained to students visiting the booth that Forsite specializes in forest management solutions, with the five big areas being wildland fire/fuel management, forest land management, planning and analysis, inventory and data, and forest operations. She commented that there is a wide range of opportunities with the company for people interested in forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, geography, or a related field, mappers, computer techs and more. "A healthy forest is so important for our everyone."
Forsite also offers four or eight month positions for students who are interested in forestry as a career. The students will be responsible for providing technical support to project teams in all aspects of timber development and silviculture operations. Multiphase timber development includes timber reconnaissance, field engineering, riparian and ecological assessments, timber cruising, and GPS traversing. Silviculture services include surveys, prescription development, planting supervision, and silviculture management.
There were many other booths spread around the atrium also discussing possible careers in the technology area that actually exist in their own region, including Raptor Integration, Sky Crew, Salmon Arm MakerSpace, Dinoflex Manufacturing, USNR, City of Salmon Arm, Scott Syme Structural Engineering, High Impact Signs, Work BC, Salmon Arm Economic Development Movie Theatre, Accelerate Okanagan, Canoe Forest Products, Delta C Technologies, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) mapping, City of Salmon Arm, and SD83 Information Technology. The Centre for Art and Technology and Okanagan College were also on hand answering questions about post secondary opportunities that could lead to various careers.
SD83's work experience and dual credit community liaison, Dave Ramsay, was at the Tech Meet Up conducting a survey of students who might be interested in work experience in the areas of technology and manufacturing, hospitality and tourism, health and human services, agriculture, and environment and climate action. Ramsay was collecting information so that he can help individual students connect to a community business or partner that will provide that work experience. If you are interested in work experience, or providing work experience, please contact Ramsay at dramsay@sd83.bc.ca .
Career Development opportunities are a pillar in SD83's Strategic Plan. A District goal is that each student will develop the skills and competencies necessary to be successful in a career pathway of their choice.
For more information
P.O. Box 129 ~ 341 Shuswap St. S.W
Salmon Arm British Columbia
Canada V1E 4H9
www.sd83.bc.ca
