Fleming College’s Geotech Drilling Award for Excellence & Scholarship Recipients Announced 

by Holly Keech

Sir Sandford Fleming College of Applied Arts & Technology recently announced this year’s recipients of the Geotech Drilling Services Ltd Award for Excellence and the Building Bridges for Women in Trades & Technology Scholarship. 

The Geotech Drilling Services Ltd. Award for Excellence recognizes full-time students in the Resources Drilling Technician program who are dedicated to their studies and demonstrate leadership qualities.  

This year’s award recipient, Kaileigh Smith, is passionate about resources drilling and is planning a career in the industry.

“Getting this bursary will help me out tremendously as it will be going towards my third semester tuition. Now I can be less focused on my expenses and more towards my studies. I am so glad I’m part of an industry that allows me to learn every day and work hard, I’m very proud of that. Thank you so much for thinking of me for this award!” – Kaileigh Smith (2022 Geotech Drilling Services Ltd. Award for Excellence recipient) 

In addition to this award, a new scholarship was awarded to a female student in the Building Bridges for Women in Trades & Technology Scholarship initiative. 

Photo: 2022 scholarship recipient, Maggie

“ Thank you for granting me this scholarship! I am so grateful for any time and effort taken to recognize my abilities and my place in a new trade. I have fought a fair share of self doubt with many things in life, but re-entering post secondary education and exploring the world of drilling has continued to brighten my perspective on challenging myself and recognizing my potential.”  – Maggie (2022 Building Bridges for Women in Trades & Technology Scholarship recipient) 

Geotech Drilling Services Ltd is a proud partner of Sir Sandford Fleming College of Applied Arts & Technology, supporting the Resources Drilling Technician Program and helping to reduce the financial barriers many students face in post secondary education.

Photo: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at The Geotech Drilling Lab classroom in the Parnham Training Centre at Fleming College

Fleming College’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences (SENRS) was founded in 1967, and is now Ontario’s leading college for environmental and natural resource sciences. The Resources Drilling Technician program is one of a kind in Canada. Fleming College offers the only college program in Canada providing training in Drilling, and the only program in the world offering training in so many of the different types of drilling.  

Students of the Resources Drilling Technician program will learn the foundational theory, techniques and methods relating to each of these types of drilling, with an emphasis on safe working practices, while they learn to operate a full range of drilling equipment hands-on.  Fleming College knows that numerous sectors rely on drilling skills, and grads of this program are in high demand, with over 100 students successfully graduated from the program since inception.  

For more information on Fleming College and the Resources Drilling Technician Program, check out their website here: https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/resources-drilling-technician/curriculum?start=january-2023