As a happily employed instrumentation technician who's currently working towards a second ticket, Lyndsay Beaunoyer says Lakeland College put her on the path to success.

Encouraged by her family to pursue a career in instrumentation, Beaunoyer enrolled in Lakeland's pre-employment instrumentation and control program following high school in 2012. She says her decision was sealed knowing she would spend 12 weeks learning on Lakeland's Vermilion campus followed by a four-week practicum.

“I chose this program because there is a practicum included with it and extra time in class, compared to other trades programs. That extra time on campus definitely helps prepare you, plus the instructors at Lakeland are great,” says Beaunoyer. “The practicum was beneficial because that's how people get to see how you work and more often than not you are hired afterwards. That's how I got a job.

Beaunoyer added that she received help from Lakeland finding a practicum where she lived. “That's a huge advantage,” she says.

Following her practicum with Pyramid Corporation, Beaunoyer found career success with the company and is now employed with Imperial Oil in Cold Lake, Alta. Along the way she completed apprenticeship training to become a journeyperson instrumentation and control technician and is now working towards her second ticket as an electrician. 

Though it's been seven years since Beaunoyer was a Lakeland student, she continues to recommend Lakeland's pre-employment programs to anyone interested in pursuing a career in the trades.

“It's an excellent program to take and I would definitely encourage anyone thinking about taking instrumentation to take this route first instead of the apprenticeship,” says the 24-year-old. “Instrumentation is a challenging trade, so it definitely helps to have that extra classroom time to learn and have that practicum experience.”