The Ledcor Group of Companies has donated $250,000 to the University of Alberta’s new David and Joan Lynch School of Engineering Safety and Risk Management (ESRM). As the first of its kind in Canada, the University’s new program integrates safety and risk management into the curriculum of all its engineering students.

The School was founded in 2016 after having been in operation as the ESRM program that was established by the Faculty of Engineering in 1988.

Tom Lassu, president of Ledcor Industries Inc. and University of Alberta Civil Engineering alumni (’92 BSc), has been passionate and influential in setting new safety standards for the entire industry and applauds this type of innovation.

“Engineering students are the future leaders of our industry, and I am proud to see the University of Alberta take the initiative to raise the bar on safety and risk education,” says Lassu. “For Ledcor, our safety commitments are part of our corporate culture, from our offices to our project sites. We are continually seeking and supporting advancements in safety.”

The donation from Ledcor will help fund an endowment to sustain and increase the impact of the Lynch School. Earnings will help recruit more teachers, support research, develop further ESRM courses and programs and fund student-led projects. ESRM will be offered to all third and fourth year engineering students and by 2018, every University of Alberta Engineering graduate will have taken an ESRM course.

Ledcor places the health and safety of their employees at the core of their corporate values. Their award-winning safety programs aim to go above and beyond industry standards, ensuring that all employees and contractors go home safe at the end of every work day.