Getenergy Expected to Fuel Growth in SAIT Training

Written by Rosey Hwang Thursday, 16 June 2011 15:40

There’s no question that last week’s Getenergy conference was of value to oil and gas companies, but what did hosting the global gathering do for SAIT Polytechnic?

Lots, says SAIT Earned Revenue Coordinator Stephen Armitage. “Participants were overwhelmed at the quality of the facilities available at SAIT. Delegates were especially impressed by how we offer hands-on training with industry-standard equipment.”

And for SAIT, says Armitage that is expected to translate into new opportunities and partnerships in energy training – the focus of SAIT’s corporate training portfolio.

The two-day Getenergy event featured 17 sessions on topics ranging from training and education challenges in Iraq to the manpower shortage in the Canadian Oil Sands industry. More than 300 delegates from 27 countries attended the conference – and over 99 per cent of them provided positive feedback about both the event and SAIT as host.  

“SAIT was a fantastic host and the sessions generated a lot of excitement from delegates,” says Phil Andrews, CEO of Getenergy. “I can honestly say that this is the best conference we’ve ever had.”

SAIT seized the opportunity to show off some of what makes it a leader in energy training. More than 100 delegates took part in tours of the MacPhail School of Energy, the School of Manufacturing and Automation and the School of Construction.

Delegates, companies and exhibitors have already expressed their desire to return to SAIT next year for a regional event.

“The positive responses that we continue to receive are completely unprecedented,” says Andrews. “We already have plans in the works to host a Canadian meeting at SAIT in 2012.”

The Getenergy conference is the only international forum exclusively focused on education, training and workforce development in the energy industry and the only forum linking training and development managers with universities, colleges and training providers.