Industrial Instrumentation and Oil and Gas Field Operations students at Northern Lights College will be the beneficiaries of a $37,100 donation of technology and scholarships from Zedi Inc.

The investment by Zedi will enhance the learning experience for NLC students with hands-on training, better preparing them for the job market.

"As an employer in the Fort St. John area, we are excited to have the opportunity to support Northern Lights College and its students. With increasing activity in the region related to the oil and gas industry, we believe equipping students with the skills and technology they will be using once they enter the workforce will be beneficial for all concerned," said Joe Ollenberger, Zedi’s Senior Vice President, Sales and Support.

The technology component of the donation exposes students to the effective use of electronic flow measurement and well surveillance, key activities in the operation of gas wells.

The donation includes Zedi’s flagship surveillance product, the Smart-Alek®, and an eTube™, Zedi’s innovative primary metering device, both housed in a Smart-Skid™. Reporting to Zedi’s secure web portal, the equipment is representative of what producers are actively deploying today. To ensure optimal learning value, the technology is supplemented with instructor training and training materials.

"The equipment will form an essential learning component for our Instrumentation program, but also has uses that will allow crossover into other areas of NLC programming," said Jeff Lekstrom, NLC Dean of Instruction for Trades, Apprenticeship and Technology. "We are excited to receive this technology and will put it to good use in training our students. This kind of support from industry enhances our programs and enables NLC to provide the hands-on training we are noted for."

The scholarship component of the donation will see the creation of six new student awards, valued at $500 each. The scholarships will be awarded annually for the next five years. Students in the Oil and Gas Field Operations and Industrial Instrumentation Foundation/Level 1 programs, who meet specific eligibility criteria, will be eligible for the awards.

Zedi Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and distributes equipment and technology for the monitoring, measurement, analysis and management of production operations in the oil and gas and the pipeline industries in western Canada. Zedi has expanded its local operations in recent years, through the purchase of J&J Oilfield in Fort St. John, and Skyways Technical Services in Fort Nelson.

Beginning in the fall of 2010, over 800 students within the Petroleum Engineering Technology and Instrumentation Technology programs at NAIT will benefit from first-hand experience with Zedi technology. Within NAIT’s Spartan Center for Instrumentation and Technology, students will experience through their core curriculum the benefits of hardware, Zedi Smart-Alek® and etube, as well as Zedi’s web application, Zedi Access™. Zedi’s has also given a Smart-Skid, which is housed in NAIT’s Engineering Anex. “The technology provided by Zedi gives our students the ability to keep up with advancements in the oil and gas industry, which goes a long way in support of NAIT’s quality programming and our student’s success,” says Patrick Mechacek, Associate Vice President of NAIT.

Putting new and emerging technologies in the hands of learners is part of Zedi’s commitment to education and according to Jeffery Sundquist, VP of Corporate Development, “ensures students hit the ground running with the best knowledge and familiarity of the latest technology. It is increasingly important that students understand the business value that technology can provide.” A five year commitment has been made to this important initiative; as well the top student in each program with high academic achievement will receive a $1000 scholarship. As part of this partnership with NAIT, Zedi has been invited to participate in the Petroleum Engineering Technology Program Advisory Committee, a group that is tasked with evaluating curriculum and learning objectives.