EKpass becomes exclusive heavy equipment operator training specialists for Finning Mining Canada

 

February, 2012

 

EKpass has signed a multi-year agreement with Finning Canada to be their exclusive provider of heavy equipment operator training and related consulting services for all mining equipment for the entire Finning Canada territory.

 

Finning (Canada) is a division of Finning International Inc., the world’s largest Caterpillar equipment dealer.

 

Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta Finning (Canada) sells, rents and provides customer support services for Caterpillar equipment and engines in British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta and the Northwest Territories as well as a portion of Nunavut. Finning serves a diverse range of industrial markets, including mining, forestry, construction, pipeline/oil field construction, agriculture, government sector, marine, transportation, fisheries, and the commercial transport industry.

 

Craig Vest, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for EKpass states, “We are thrilled to have entered into this agreement with Finning. We have many mutual clients and this arrangement allows both Finning and EKpass to serve our common customer’s needs more effectively, and that’s good for everyone. By linking with Finning in this fashion we can improve on our ability to be in tune with customer needs and safety issues in the industry in general. This helps us to continue to expand our role as the premium provider of world class equipment and safety related training and consulting to industry.”

 

Company Background

 

EKpass is a global heavy equipment training, consulting, and I.T. services company specializing in productivity, safety, and environmental programs and services. EKpass also provides heavy equipment operator training on a variety of mobile equipment.

 

EKpass serves the mining, pipeline, manufacturing, municipal, public service, utilities, forestry, railroad, and agriculture sectors. EKpass seasoned professionals have provided services at over 180 locations world-wide.

 

In addition to a myriad of civilian clients, the company has provided the Canadian Armed Forces, the US Navy, the United States Marine Corps and other branches of the military with professional instructor-led heavy equipment operator training. EKpass is NATO registered and is a U.N. registered provider. Many contractors, both civilian and military, turn to EKpass for their heavy equipment operator training needs as well as other mobile equipment training.

 

EKpass has more than twenty years of experience specializing in all types of heavy equipment operator and safety training programs as well as mobile equipment operator training. This wide scope of heavy equipment training addresses such issues as operating safety essentials, overall operating strategies that lead to improved productivity, and machine maintenance procedures. EKpass also provides new employee orientation training.

 

Through a combination of classroom and on-site, hands-on instruction, EKpass prepares its trainees for work in a variety of heavy equipment and mobile equipment related industries. All training (including heavy equipment operator training) is customized to meet the specific needs of its clients. Through specialized training and calculating projected return on investment, clients have reported a reduction in operating costs in excess of millions of dollars each year through improved safety, productivity and lowered maintenance costs.

 

To date EKpass has provided training on equipment from over 100 manufacturers.

 

EKpass’ balanced curriculum of performance and safety solution based theory and hands on heavy equipment training addresses all needs. EKpass, using state of the art training techniques and technology, develops and delivers heavy equipment training programs that are both effective and stimulating. EKpass professional resources enable us to offer vital heavy equipment training and mentoring for all clients. EKpass experience in heavy equipment training “on site” makes it possible to provide “tailor made training” specific for every client operation.

 

In addition, EKpass has a consulting arm as well as an extensive I.T arm including web based training development.

 

Consulting Services

 

Consulting services offered by EKpass include training needs assessments, hoisting and equipment safety audits, needs assessments, gap analysis, efficiency analysis, equipment operator evaluation, and other solutions to heavy equipment operating challenges. EKpass also provides first response and incident investigation, safe work plan development, policy and procedure development, JSA development, operator’s maintenance and maintenance manual development, expert witness services, as well as pipeline inspection services.

 

I.T. Services

 

EKpass provides assessment services for analysis of existing client systems, 3D animation development, video and audio services, web based training development and hosting, conversion of existing training programs to web based format, and computer based training development, as well as other I.T. related services.

 

E-learning for heavy equipment

 

EKpass utilizes a vast library of electronic, audio visual, printed material, and other materials specific to the related industry, including during heavy equipment training. In addition EKpass brings extensive past experience in heavy equipment operator training and mobile equipment operator training to the forefront during the preparation of all e-learning programs. The EKpass development team consists of instructional designers, graphic designers, multimedia programmers, 3D animators, sound engineers and subject matter experts (SME). Designers and programmers are experienced in mobile equipment productivity and safety techniques.

 

EKpass is able to produce high resolution digital video and can create highly compressed video/audio sequences.

 

Web based hosting

 

In addition, EKpass develops and hosts e-learning systems that utilize Web-based and N-tier, complete with a world class proprietary Learning Management System and Exam System. All Solutions are designed to industry standards including AICC / SCORM and are designed for highly regulated industries that require training validation and training records tracking (MOT, FAA, JAA, CAA, ICAO Approved). All EKpass e-learning systems are user friendly and flexible, deliverable through CD-ROM, LAN, Intranet & Internet and are available with off-line learning and tracking capabilities. Systems are designed to deliver initial and re-current training: “courseware granularity” and are driven by a “Next Generation” – Player.

 

World Class LMS

 

The proprietary EKpass LMS is a web-based, online management system that deploys, launches and tracks e-learning content, manages users, enrollments, and learning records and provides the point of entry for the users for all their learning activities and training. The EKpass LMS works within the client operating environment: operating systems, Internet browsers and has full database support: Access, SQL Server, and Oracle. The LMS allows different levels of access and security, allowing advanced groupings and providing detailed tracking. It is capable of launching file based courses, providing advanced filtering & searching. Security characteristics include use of the SSL Protocol, Windows Encryption including 40bit, 64bit, 128bit encryption key for server and 40bit, 64bit, 128bit internet browser for client. Interoperability is provided between web based applications, between web based and Windows based applications and between web based and legacy DOS based applications. The EKpass system works with any third party supplied learning content (AICC / SCORM).