Alumni News and Views - Conestoga College

In 1980, Steve Tangney completed his
apprenticeship at Conestoga as an
Automotive Service Technician. In
September this year, he began
employment as an Education Officer
with the Ministry of Education.
Amazing what can be achieved when
an individual demonstrates an
unwavering commitment to on-going
professional development and
community service.
Steve is a self-effacing fellow who
has progressed through a myriad of
interesting roles since beginning in a
full-time position as an auto
mechanic. Initially, he worked at
Epoch’s Garage in Kenilworth, next
in Toronto at McBride’s Delivery,
then at Arthur Chrysler Plymouth. As
a licensed tradesperson, Steve
discovered he enjoyed working with
apprentices and this led to the next
step in his professional development.
In 1988/89, Steve spent a year at
Althouse Teacher’s College, University
of Western Ontario to qualify as a
secondary school technological
studies teacher. In addition to
Journeymen and teaching credentials,
Steve now holds a Bachelor of Arts in
Adult Studies from Brock University,
a Diploma of Education in
Technological Education with an
Honours Technological Studies
Specialist designation from the
University of Western Ontario.
Steve discovered he enjoyed working
with apprentices and this led to the
next step in his professional
development.
These qualifications are only a few
among the list of the additional
qualifications he has acquired over
the years. As well, Steve is affiliated
with several professional
organizations which support
technological education, co-operative
education, school guidance
counsellors and teachers’ professional
development. It is clear that Steve has
demonstrated dedication to lifelong
learning and the value of education
that began with his apprenticeship
and that has moved full speed ahead
since then.
Upon graduation from teacher’s
Grad Profile
Beyond an Apprenticeship
by Lynne Kattenhorn*
Steve Tangney, 2004 Alumnus of Distinction
Award Recipient
college, Steve’s first position was one
year spent as a secondary school
teacher at Galt Collegiate where he
taught not only Transportation
Technology but Construction
Technology, as well. In 1990, Steve
joined the Waterloo Catholic District
School Board where he spent the
next fifteen years. His first position
was with St. Mary’s High School and
here he began his involvement with
co-operative education. His
responsibilities included marketing
the program, setting up suitable
workplaces for students in grades
eleven and twelve and visiting each
student during the course of the coop
work term. Steve enjoyed
witnessing the students’ success in
the workplace and this led to
involvement with the Ontario Youth
Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). In
1998, Steve’s role focused on OYAP
activities full-time.
In 2002 Steve took on a new
challenge at the WCDSB, as a
program consultant for Guidance,
Co-operative Education and
Technological Education. His
enthusiasm was evident as he
described the challenges around
balancing the needs of the guidance,
technology and co-op subject areas.
In 2004, the provincial government
allocated 45 million dollars for
equipment renewal in secondary
Technological Education programs.
Steve worked with school program
heads to up-date inventory, devise
equipment standard lists and develop
priorities in the nine subject areas
that include Transportation,
Construction, Communications,
Technological Design, Manufacturing,
Hospitality, Health and Personal
Services, Computer Engineering and
Computer and Information Sciences.
Steve quickly realized how important
it is to liaise with all community
partners to help create successful and
sustainable programs for our
secondary students. The Waterloo
Region is blessed with people and
organizations willing to assist with
this endeavour and Conestoga is a
great example of this generosity.
Examples of this support are industry
student awards such as the Toyota
Motor Manufacturing Company –
Motive Power Award of Excellence,
the Linamar Corporation – Precision
and Tooling Award of Excellence
and the Landscape Ontario –
Waterloo Chapter, Horticulture
Technician Scholarship. Another
achievement was the creation of the
Motive Power and Precision
Machining Articulation Agreements
with Conestoga and the Ministry of
Training Colleges and Universities.
“I hope I can make a difference by
improving curriculum for students. To
me, the project is about students.”
His current secondment to the
Ministry of Education is to support a
review and revision of the
Technological Education 9-12
curriculum. Steve acknowledges this
new role will be a challenge, but he
is pleased with the opportunities
presented. “I hope I can make a
difference by improving curriculum
for students. To me, the project is
about students.” This is the laudable
attitude that Steve has held from the
day he first graduated and began his
multi-faceted career.
When asked what he feels is the
highlight of his varied
accomplishments, Steve generously
gives credit to the many colleagues
and friends he has worked with over
the years. Working in partnership
with the two Waterloo Regional
school boards, Conestoga College of
Technology and Advanced Learning,
Connections - winter 2006
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