MALTA — The Kishwaukee College Welding and Diesel Power Technology Programs were the recipient of a hydraulic crane truck and diesel-powered service level welder, courtesy of Enbridge, Inc.

The Canadian-based energy company donated the truck and equipment, along with an annual scholarship donation of $5,000, during a ceremony at Kish on April 7. Leadership from both Kishwaukee College, the Kishwaukee College Foundation and Enbridge, along with students and faculty, were in attendance. Following the ceremony, Enbridge guests stayed and worked with Kish students during a training session with the equipment.

“We’re proud to continue supporting engineering and welding students at Kishwaukee College through this scholarship. We're also honored to be able to donate the additional equipment, and we hope it enables students to experience specialized and real-world learning opportunities to help them achieve success in their field,” said Dave Bareham, Griffith Area Manager for Enbridge.

The new equipment offers expanded opportunities for Kish welding students, allowing them to train on identical equipment often found in professional welding jobs. Kish’s Diesel Power Technology Program will also have access to the crane truck as a training aide.

“The possibilities are endless with the hydraulic crane,” said student William Miller. “You can get certification for the crane and do some bigger welding projects with this type of equipment. There are a lot of new training opportunities with this donation.”

Enbridge employees commented on the need for more skilled people in the workforce, and the donation allows for expanded training options.

“You have an amazing program here, and we are happy to be able to support it,” said Dan Morang, Senior Welder with Enbridge. “There are a lot of welding jobs out there that are good-paying jobs. You can make a good living doing it.”

Along with the equipment donation, Enbridge made its yearly contribution of $5,000 to the Kishwaukee College Foundation for the Enbridge Energy Company Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship. The scholarship was started in 2015 for students enrolled in the Automated Engineering Technology Program or Welding Technology Program.

“Kishwaukee College is committed to supporting the education needs for a skilled workforce in the local community. I want to thank Enbridge for their partnership and their continued support of helping educate and train our students,” said Dr. Laurie Borowicz, president of Kishwaukee College. “All of our students, now and in the near future, will benefit from this generous donation.”

Enbridge has made several equipment donations and given guest lectures and demonstrations at Kish over the past several years. With a long history of supporting educational opportunities, the latest donation is further evidence of the company’s support of career and technical education.

For more information on the Kishwaukee College Foundation or the programs at Kish, such as welding or diesel power technology, visit www.kish.edu.

For more information on Enbridge, visit www.enbridge.com.