With technology and industry standards always evolving, no matter what field of engineering you may find yourself in, you will need to continue to develop new skills and stay on top of industry shifts.
One way you can do that is by taking a course with EPIC Training.
EPIC Training is a professional development organization that is focused on engineers, technical professionals, and the organizations that employ them.
“We deliver practical industry-relevant training that helps professionals stay current, competitive, and confident in their roles,” said Tim Chugh, President of EPIC Training, when he sat down with NEM Ontario.
Available to engineers across Canada, EPIC Training has been an industry leader for over thirty years, offering courses in a wide variety of disciplines and serving over 70,000 technical professionals to date.
Every course is taught by an industry expert, so that learners come away with the best experience and most relevant knowledge. Their goal is to equip engineering professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to advance their careers and stay relevant in a changing global market.
Tim Chugh sat down with NEM Ontario to tell us more about EPIC Training. Here are some excerpts from that conversation, edited for length and clarity.
What sets EPIC Training apart?
We recognize that we’re dealing with professionals. Our subject matter experts and instructors generally have practical experience, and they typically work in industry when they teach for us.
It’s very beneficial to have instructors who can identify who their audience is and bring practical experience from how they’ve handled real-world situations, which is not only invaluable but also gets the attention of learners.
Another differentiator is our live, online small-cohort training delivery model, which allows for real interaction between instructors and participants and among participants themselves, building community and collaboration. We also offer private group training programs that can be fully customized to the client’s needs.
Our secret sauce comes from our experts, who make sure the content is relevant and that professionals can take what they learn right into the workplace.
How many instructors work with EPIC Training?
Right now, we have about 350 Instructors that work with us. It is what we need to deliver on all our offerings.
It is interesting because our instructors come to work with us from different perspectives. Some are born teachers, for some, their strength is subject matter expertise, and some are looking for supplemental income. People from all three groups have had a lot of success working with us.
What is the format of EPIC Training courses?
Our courses are live, virtual, instructor-led courses. We are also looking to expand into on-demand courses, too, because we know everyone learns differently and has different constraints. Engineers definitely want flexibility, so we’re going to be working on that in the future.
Are there options to do in-person training?
For group training, we give clients the option for online or in-person delivery for their team. We can and do bring the programs right to the client’s door.
To be honest, I kind of miss the days when more people would come to our training facility. It created a focused environment for learners.
How do you choose which courses to offer?
We have a pool of Instructors who we rely on. We work closely with them to establish a base list of courses that we want to offer, but when it comes to new courses, it’s always a two-way street. We are a provider, and we work with the instructors to develop new course topics. We are always looking to evolve and make them better with each iteration.
To do so, we are also always looking at our own internal data, looking at which courses fill and don‘t, course evaluation forms and measures like that. We also do our own research into course areas we think will generate interest, so when we launch something, it will have a strong chance for success.
We’re now working with a few of our key Instructors to develop courses that are AI-focused, specifically looking to answer the question, “How could I use AI in my actual role?”
What is an example of a course that was introduced based on learner interest?
An example of when we introduced courses based on learner feedback is a series of courses that we call the ‘nons’. An example of a nons course is Mechanical Engineering for Non-Mechanical Engineers, and so you see why they got that name.
Requests for these types of courses came up because companies are looking to be as lean as possible these days. I don’t like it, but it is just a matter of business right now and moving forward. As a result, a mechanical engineer could be doing some basic civil engineer-type work, or need to understand the role of the civil engineers they are working with, so they could take Civil Engineering for Non-Civil Engineers to gain those basics.
Engineers may also want to take a course like this to be more versatile, or they may be looking to better understand how to work with their colleagues, and courses like this help bridge the gap.
What are some popular courses right now?
We are finding that infrastructure-related courses are really popular right now. Another cool topic is asphalt. They have changed the way it is made so they can pave all year round.
What skills do you think will be most critical for engineers in the next 5 to 10 years?
The most successful engineers I know are the ones who are technically strong and have communication and leadership skills, too.
Given where the industry is going, the marriage between those two areas is more critical than ever.
It comes from a place where the technical proficiency through training and technology has never been stronger, but without the ability to identify and communicate needs, rally people behind ideas and motivate performance, engineers will struggle.
