ORBA accepting Joe Bunting and J.D. Chick scholarship applications

MISSISSAUGA, ONT. — The Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) is accepting applications for the 2017 Joe Bunting and J.D. Chick scholarships, each valued at $3,000.

ORBA offers financial assistance to students in civil engineering and technology programs in the form of two scholarships.

Joe Bunting was known for his dedication to training and education of young people in the industry, explains a release. He served as chair of ORBA’s Education Committee from the late 1990s through to the mid-2000s and was a champion of the Civil Construction Management Education Series at Ryerson University. As a strong advocate of the Road Building Academy concept, Bunting helped develop and select ORBA’s curriculum and faculty for many years.

In his honour, the Joe Bunting Scholarship is awarded annually to a student attending an Ontariocollege or equivalent and entering the final year of a Civil Technology/Technician program.

J.D. Chick was elected in 1926 as ORBA’s first president. According to the release, as president of Chick Construction, the business grew in the 1940s under his guidance into one of the largest roadbuilders in Ontario. The J.D. Chick Scholarship is awarded annually to a student attending an Ontario university and entering the final year of a Civil Engineering discipline.

The criteria for students applying for an ORBA scholarship is as follows:

• applicants are required to submit an essay describing why they are pursuing a post-secondary engineering or engineering technology education as well as discuss their goals in pursuing a career in civil engineering/technology;

• past work experience, particularly related to the civil construction or broader construction industry, is a key criterion; and

• involvement with special projects or volunteer activities that demonstrate a commitment to the applicant’s local community, school or charitable organization is heavily factored into the assessment along with reference letters from employers and recommendations from professors.

The scholarship application, including accompanying documents, must be received no later than Oct. 31.

The application form is available at orba.org/scholarships/.