Pogo loader donation benefits CTC diesel, heavy equipment program

A donated underground loader from Northern Star Resources - Pogo Mine will let University of Alaska Fairbanks students train on the same modern equipment they are likely to encounter in their future jobs.

“This loader is a perfect fit for students participating in our entry-level course introducing the truck and heavy mechanics industry,” said Ray Ludwig, advisor and assistant professor for the diesel and heavy equipment program at the UAF Community and Technical College. “We teach our students everything from safety and operations to basic and advanced electrical systems, as well as multiplexing, the self-sustaining internet system inside a truck.”

The Sandvik loader, valued at $85,000, made the 130-mile journey from the Pogo Mine to the program’s headquarters at the Hutchison Institute of Technology in Fairbanks in mid-April. More than a dozen students walked alongside the 52-ton loader as it crawled through the parking lot to the program’s garage.

Ludwig said the loader covers most aspects of the one-year certificate program’s curriculum in a single piece of equipment. The diesel/heavy equipment program courses focus on teaching students how to work on diesel engines, electrical and air systems, engine electronics, hydraulics, transmissions, undercarriages, steering, and final drives. Students also complete courses in basic equipment and truck operation. Graduates leave the program with solid knowledge to start as either an entry-level mechanic or an apprentice.

Currently three program participants are apprentices at Pogo Mine, located 90 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The mine runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has over 615 employees and 150 contractors.

The Pogo apprentices’ participation in the class is part of a partnership with UAF that expands the one-year program and stretches it to two years, allowing students to put their classwork to practical use. The arrangement also enhances the program’s curriculum by bringing on-the-job perspective into the classroom.

“This partnership provides the opportunity to educate our future potential workforce and arm them with critical skills needed to successfully progress within the industry,” said Wendie MacNaughton, external affairs manager at Pogo Mine. “By donating a piece of equipment that is actually being used in the field, we are able to open the doors for learning within our local community and broaden awareness about the technical needs of the mining industry as one of Alaska’s key economic drivers.”

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Wendie MacNaughton, Northern Star Resources, 907-458-4003, WMacNaughton@nsrltd.com 

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos and video clips are available for download from the UAF press download folder.

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