CUBA'S - techlife magazine

From far left, Cienfuegos Bay, as seen from CNCI;
Fourth-period Electricity students between classes at
CNCI; Hugo Longoria del Blanco, director of CNCI, first
came to the area as an engineer for a nuclear power
plant that was never completed.
“In terms of our sustainable economic growth
priority, CIDA is working with Cuba to build foundations
for the future. One of the foundations for economic
growth is a modern workforce and that’s where CNCI
comes in.”
So does NAIT, says CNCI director Hugo Longoria
del Blanco. “When we talk about CNCI development
during the last 10 years, we have to talk about NAIT
involvement.” Specifically, Longoria refers to instructor
training provided by NAIT instructors – on-site and
in Edmonton – and shipments of equipment including
metal lathes, computers, electrical and instrumentation
simulation panels, numerical control machines and
more – worth more than $3 million over the last decade.
Without it, the school’s labs and shops couldn’t operate.
“The base of our technical training at CNCI has to be a
practical training,” says Longoria. “The most important
issue is to provide the students the opportunity to do
the things with their own hands.”
Ultimately, this approach means a better, faster
and safer workforce, he adds. That’s exactly what CIDA
wants to see come out of its promotion of vocational
training. What’s more, Longoria adds, “It’s something
employers are recognizing.”
Why train abroad?
the desire to participate in international and
community development fueled nait’s interest in
partnering with cnci (cuba’s national centre for
industrial certification), but it wasn’t the sole
motivation.
apart from the opportunities for brand building and professional
development for faculty, a project like this is an opportunity to export
Canadian values and a means of revenue generation – a concern for
all of alberta’s post-secondary institutions given the current economy.
by providing expertise in training, curriculum development and
institute building abroad, NaIt Corporate and International training,
administrator of the CNCI project, generates funds for programs here
at home.
It creates less tangible valuable spinoffs, as well. Machinist instructor
Jerry Muise is one of more than 50 NaIt instructors who have worked
in Cuba. Helping CNCI staff set up equipment and programs taught
him the fundamentals of institute building. equally important, it opened
his eyes to life in a developing nation, and motivated him to make his
own contribution. Invited to a Cuban’s home for dinner, he made a gift
to his host’s son of a second-hand video game system from Canada.
“Within 10 minutes, that boy had that thing hooked up and running,”
says Muise. “His mother sat down beside him and cried.”
— Scott Messenger
www.nait.ca/cit
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