In order to help students gain experience in wireless communications, we initiated our summer employment program for students. The erection of communication towers, installation of microwave antennas, wave guides and other infra structure work is typically done by men but as we learned, women too can hold their own in this male dominated industry. During the first summer of our program, the female summer student learned to climb towers, operated the capstan winch, reinforced towers, installed wave guides and transmission lines, installed connectors, replaced tower lights, learned about different types of electromagnetic radiation levels and relevant details about Health Canada's Safety Code 6. Other skills were also acquired such as the maintenance and painting of communication shelters, checking tower top amplifiers, checking for water in connectors and other field related work.

On the near right, Monica Walke, a science student from the university of Guelph helped to strengthen a 300 ft tower in eastern Ontario. Photo on the far right shows Ms. Walke with another rigger being hoisted by crane. The basket enabled the riggers to reach Tower Top Amplifiers (TTAs) on a monopole tower that would be otherwise very difficult to get to.

Kyla Kassotis was a 2nd year student from Carleton University.
Kyla worked for us during 2 summers and learned to operate the capstan winch, hoisting material up towers,
helped with tag-lines, assembled and disassembled communication
towers, installed connectors on transmission lines, assembled microwave antennas and assisted with the regular day-to-day operation of ground crews in the field.

To the right and below: Stephan Walke had just finished high school and joined us from Paisley for the summer before going off in the fall to spend a year in different parts of Canada working in the Katimavik program. While working for Alpha-Beta, Stephane learned how to build tower foundations,