Dale Krall may be an electrical engineering grad from the University of Alberta, but in his work as an associate at SMP Engineering, he finds he regularly draws on the skills he learned in Lethbridge College’s Electrical Apprenticeship program.
“I learned a lot of what is actually needed to build a building during my time in the trade,” he says, “and I think that makes our designs better. The way we lay buildings out, the way we circuit them is far more realistic. Several of us at SMP are certified master electricians and it changes the way we design. We are constantly thinking of how the electrician will construct it on site, and we try to put in extra effort to help align the drawings with how it will actually be installed.”
Krall, who graduated from the college in 2007, is thrilled to be working on the new trades and technologies facility at his alma mater. “The project is wonderful,” he says, “for Lethbridge and for the whole province. It’s going to be a facility where we can train skilled people – and we need skilled people to build Alberta. That doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a very impressive project for Lethbridge – but for all of Alberta too.” He adds that he’s also enjoying designing a building his former instructors will work in – “the same ones who helped me.”
The aesthetics of the building matter to Krall. “It’s important that buildings are not just cubes where you go and learn skills,” he says. “I like this building because I think it is going to be an inspiring and interactive place to learn.”
