While VAST Resource Solutions Inc. was founded in 2012, the company’s team members have a 50+ year history of serving Western Canada’s agricultural, energy, forestry, mining, transportation, and utility sectors. They are also committed to philanthropy.
“It’s important to VAST Resource Solutions to find meaningful and impactful ways to give back to the community in which we live, work, and play,” said Dave Struthers, Principal and Senior Agrologist/Reclamation Specialist. “We choose to do this in a variety of forms: sometimes through mentorship opportunities, volunteering, monetary donations, sponsorships, or advocacy for local initiatives.”
When College of the Rockies put out a call for donations to the Dean’s Equipment Fund for Environmental Science as part of their 2020 Giving Tuesday campaign, Struthers and his team were quick to respond.
“We chose this particular cause because we want to support experiential learning opportunities that help ensure students work on projects of real-world relevance using up-to-date industry equipment and technology, so they develop skills that prepare them for the job market,” Struthers said.
It is in VAST’s interests to see students at the College succeed.
“We have hired numerous College alumni,” Struthers said. “We have a particularly symbiotic relationship with the Advanced Forestry Skills Training program, delivered by the College and Stillwater Consulting. Our firm employs up to 45 natural resource workers annually, and during peak season we have a need for skilled seasonal/junior staff. We’ve hired more than a dozen graduates of the Advanced Forestry Skills program over the years and we’re continually impressed with their capability to fit right into a technical work environment. Looking forward, VAST will continue to require skilled employees who can step into technical positions and will look to bring on graduates of field-based training programs as it provides us with some level of assurance that the basic field skills we require are there.”
VAST Resource Solutions provides a diverse array of natural resource consulting and engineering services to private and public sector clients thought B.C. and Western Canada. Their team includes professional and technical staff with expertise in agriculture, forestry, mining, aquatic ecology, reclamation and remediation, engineering and geoscience, environmental assessment and monitoring, fish and wildlife ecology, and riparian and terrestrial ecosystems. They are committed to exceptional client value by delivering cost-effective and innovative services, with uncompromising quality and care, from conceptual design to project completion.
As a community-oriented company, Struthers and his team feel College of the Rockies brings a multitude of benefits to the region.
Not only does the College provide accessible and affordable educational opportunities, it also helps meet the needs of the people, industry, and businesses of our region,” he said. “The College brings diversity to our communities, teaches critical thinking, inspires innovation, and provides diverse learning pathways to success for people of all ages and ambitions.”