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Apprenticeship programs only way to train peopleâ€"engineer By NANCY ALEXANDER Special to the Beaver Oakville businessman â€" Tony Ketelaars, the constant travel means business is booming. _ Ketelaars‘ company, New Automation, is a true homegrown Canadian success storyâ€"so successâ€" ful in fact, that Ketelaars now does his travelling in his own private jet. New Automation designs and builds custom automation equipment, specializing in machining centres and robotics. The company originally started in Oakville in 1970 as an elecâ€" frical contracting company (New Electric), but in little more than 10 years, has successfully made the leap Keeping Canada competitive in a highâ€"tech age is going to mean equipâ€" ping our work force with the proper skills. One of the best ways to ensure this is through apprenticeship training programs, according to Tony Ketelaars, president of New Automation of Oakville. Ketelaars practices what he preaches. At his new plant on Hwy. 5, he employs up to six apprentices at any given time, and he encourages other employers to do the same. With his European background, Ketelaars is no stranger to the apprenâ€" ticeship model which in Europe has always been a highly valued form of education. In Canada, he concedes, there is sometimes too much emphsis on being a doctor or lawyer and not enough on technical training. "When you train your own people, they have exactly the skills you need," he says "and you‘re ensuring that you‘ll always have a skilled work force to fill your needs." _ Don‘t talk about the recession to Tony Ketelaars, the New Automation president doesn‘t have the time Highâ€"tech firm travels the world for business ast week it was Kentucky and Michigan. Next week it could be Califomia or Holland. For _BUSINESS & FINANCE into highâ€"tech automation. Ketelaars says it was through his original electrical contracting busiâ€" ness that he began to make contacts and see the need for this new kind of "leading edge" technology. With his back#round as an electrical engineer, background as a he decided to try need. By 1982 he had set up New Automation which now employs 57 people at a modern new plant on Hwy. 5 west of Bronte Rd. Although Ketelaars concedes that the company has felt the pinch of the recession like everyone else, his business has been growing steadily, mainly in the export end. â€" In fact, 70 percent of New Automation‘s business is now accounted for by exports, about 50 per cent of that in the United States and the rest in Europe. to capitalize on this A major break into the market came last year 1 Automation contracted to Automation contracted to provide a new automated drilling system and beam line for Nelissen Van Gerwen BV of the Netherlands. With the sysâ€" tem in place, according to Ketelaars, it is now possible for the company (which produces steel building prodâ€" ucts) to cut, weld and drill the steel to exact specifications by simply feeding a building‘s dimensions into the computerized system. Another big overseas contract has been with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines which is using a robotic probe designed by New Automation to do nonâ€"destructive testing on some of its jet engine components. Not surprisingly, Ketelaars is a strong supporter of free trade, espeâ€" cially with exports being the fastest growing portion of his business. He says it should be interesting to see how new U.S. President Bill Clinton handles the free trade issue, and whether or not he is more protectionâ€" ist than the previous administration. Obviously, when words like "robotics" and "automation" are used, there is an assumption that facâ€" tories full of people are gradually being replaced by a few highâ€"tech machines. Nothing could be further from the truth, according to Ketelaars. In fact, he says, the sysâ€" tems he puts in place actually help create more jobs by making the comâ€" panies more efficient and more comâ€" petitive, and thus, more successful. He points to his own expanding busiâ€" ness as an example of how jobs are HHAVNATHNRICTeHr cesmm mevvrnemmmen wo v o YChea aw vens PremIiErR T pusST ational Trustco Company air when European technolog One very important selling point for New Automation‘s systems is its guarantee of "24â€"hour service" should anything go wrong . That polâ€" In Tony Ketelaars of New Automation: finding a niche ng created through leadingâ€"edge â€" iev can account fr Tax planning booklet available for free icy can account for Ketelaars‘ recent trips to Michigan and Kentucky where technicians were dropped off in the momning to make any necesâ€" sary repairs or adjustments, and picked up later in the day. It can also account for the need for the private jet. The Hamilton Chapter of the Certified General Accountants Association of Ontario is making available its Strategic Tax Planning booklet free of charge to the public by calling 1â€"416â€"529â€"1669. CGA Ontario also offers a free accountant referral service to provincial residents and businesses who want to hire a professional accountant to help with financial planning, tax returns, financial statement preparation and other accounting services. Call 1â€"800â€"668â€"1454. difficult question to answer when the workforce is changing > drastically. Some occupations once highly regarded no longer xist. This dynamic presentation examines our impressions and xpectations of work. It will consider the major factors npacting employment: Changing Technologies, Expectations f a Changing Society. and the Effect of a Global Economy. ie Department of Employment and Immigration is sponsoring outstanding speaker to enable parents and educators to gain me insight into the future of work and to better understand w they should prepare their children for employment. Dr. John Walsh Associate Professor, University of Guelph TELL ME, WHAT YOU ARE GOINGTODO WHEN YOU LEAVE SCHOOL? more information please call Jan Murdock, Eastview Public ol 827â€"154 1. The ofenkins Avency SPEAKERS CORNER: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 :30 â€" 8:30 ins Agency also organizes Home Shows in Milton, Mississauga, Hamilton, Brampton and St. Catharines Eastview P. S. (small gym) w will definitely be c for more information kins now at 827â€"4632. 2266 Hixon Str. Oakville 827â€"1541 exhibitor space is i »me Show, April 1 vyour business could WANTED! Metailers realize that regular customers are their best customers. Get to know your retailer personally. It‘s good business and everybody wins! in excitin I BURNS FRY (Photo by Peter McCusker) Closer to home, New Automation has also created systems for a variety of local industries such as Canadian General Electric in Oakville, General Motors in St. Catharines. Cameo (Canadian Appliance Manufacturing Company) in Hamilton and Ontario Hydro in Darlington. Fidelity Investments Canada 16 still U8¢ AK interest to you:. 1 lease contact durin ivailable in the 4th Annual 7, 18, at the Glen Abbey lirect exposure to thousands y period, then the Oakville AMBER M Slipp the hour )btain M