Power Engineering Technician

Hospitals, universities and district energy plants all rely on someone qualified to run their boilers, chillers and turbines safely around the clock. Cambrian College’s Power Engineering Technician is a two-year Ontario College Diploma of four semesters, taught in Sudbury with capped enrolment and accredited by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).

The first year covers Power Plant Operation I and Power Plant Operations II, Boilers & Auxiliaries I, Electricity & Control Systems I, Applied Science, Applied Chemistry I, Prime Movers I, Pumps, Compressors and Boiler Safety Devices, and Building Systems and Industrial Refrigeration. The second year follows the third class syllabus through courses such as 3A2 - Electricity & Control Systems II, Thermodynamics & Engineering Materials, 3B1 - Boilers and Auxiliaries II, 3B2 - Heating, Refrig. & Gas Comp. II, 3B2 - Prime Movers II and Nuclear and Alternate Energy, alongside Power Plant Operation III and IV and Safety & Administration I and II.

The heart of the programme is Cambrian’s on-campus, TSSA-registered power plant, where the lab-heavy Power Plant Operation courses give you operating practice on real steam and building systems. Students are eligible to challenge the TSSA Fourth Class and Third Class Operating Engineer certification exams. Summer industrial work placements between first and second year have included Bruyère Continuing Care and the National Research Council heating and cogeneration plant, where students earned qualifying experience time. Graduates can continue into Cambrian’s Power Engineering Technology programme or pursue degree pathways with credit recognition.

Graduates operate and maintain energy systems as power engineers, boiler operators, power plant operators, stationary engineers, building systems operators and petrochemical plant operators in hospitals, universities, manufacturing sites and district energy facilities. The programme suits steady, safety-focused people who are happy to work shifts and want a licensed trade with a clear ladder of certificate classes.