NAIT Celebrates

Sandvik Coromant is named the Distinguished Industry Partner for their leadership in the community and long-standing support of machinist education.

Sandvik Coromant

Partnership with the global leader in manufacturing innovation committed to educating skilled machinists

"We are truly honoured to be recognized. The Distinguished Industry Partner award is not only for Sandvik Coromant, but also for all the graduates we have supported throughout their years of learning, and who are supporting us now throughout their years of work.” Magalie Jackson, general manager of Sandvik Coromant Canada

Near the heart of NAIT’s original campus is the 31,000-square-foot Sandvik Coromant Centre for Machinist Technology. It’s a state-of-the-art facility that has had a major impact on several industries by producing some 1,300 students annually. Since it opened in 2008, it remains unmatched by any other educational institute in Canada.

“Together we ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge employers require, reducing the gap between educational program and industry,” says Magalie Jackson, general manager of Sandvik Coromant Canada.

That commitment has led to Sandvik Coromant being named NAIT’s 2024 Distinguished Industry Partner. Throughout the now 16-year partnership, the company has invested upwards of $2.6 million to support scholarships, equipment, and funding to ensure that automotive, medical, oil and gas, power generation, aerospace industries, and more have the skilled machinists they need to succeed.

“Our collaboration with NAIT guarantees the alignment of the curriculum with the current and future needs of the manufacturing industry,” says Jackson.

Supporting highly skilled and technical programming

“Machining is a very technical trade,” says Mike Oostenbrink, who graduated from the Machinist program in 2013 and got his start in the industry as a technical sales rep with Sandvik Coromant.

“Some parts you are making must be accurate to less than a thousandth of an inch – less than the width of a hair.”

Sandvik tooling is a critical component of that accuracy. Students learn to put those skills into practice at the centre, which is outfitted with tools and equipment including the latest in metal cutting, lathes and grinding machines.

The rapid development of technology in the industry – including automation and artificial intelligence – demands that kind of hands-on exposure and experience. And the strength of the economy depends on it.

In a 2022 labour survey from Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, 62% of manufacturers said they lost or turned down contracts because of the lack of workers. The result was $7.2 billion in lost sales.

While 2023 showed improvements, a shortage of skilled machinists remains a barrier to industry growth and innovation.

Attracting students with high-quality educational opportunities and career prospects “creates a network of professionals to remain up-to-date and relevant in that rapidly evolving industry landscape,” says Jackson.

Skilled graduates show value of partnership

“The graduates coming out of NAIT are proof of the value of our partnership,” says Jackson.

For Sandvik Coromant, Oostenbrink is another success story worth celebrating – and their investment was an important part of it (he received one of their scholarships in 2013.) It’s further proof of the impact of the efforts of 163 years in business, 80 of those in Canada – and of the continued value of the company’s ongoing partnership with NAIT.

Oostenbrink who after working in industry (a 2023 Spirit of NAIT Alumni Award recipient) set out to extend that network himself by establishing Exakt Industries in Edmonton in 2021.

“Graduates have role model positions throughout industry,” says Jackson. “They share their product knowledge and best practices, keeping our Sandvik brand in mind.”