Kevin Wharmby is a Lead Planner and Scheduler of Maintenance at Cameco Corporation’s Port Hope Conversion Facility. Wharmby is a great believer in lifelong learning. “I have always believed that learning never stops. Since graduating from Law & Security Administration, and then working through apprenticeship training as a General Machinist, I have continued to participate in continuous learning programs,” he says.

Wharmby’s most recent accomplishment is graduating from the Maintenance Management Professional (MMP) certificate program. He first heard of the MMP program in 2014, when he attended a MainTrain conference hosted by PEMAC (Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association of Canada). Wharmby had the opportunity to speak with NLC staff about the outline of the MMP program and he was
immediately intrigued. “What appealed to me the most about the program offering through NLC was that I really felt it was a foundational skill set for a Maintenance Supervisor,” he reflects.

The MMP program is designed for operations and maintenance managers in asset intensive industries who would like to learn about maintenance best practices, or those aspiring to enter into operations and maintenance management roles. The online delivery method allows students to participate in
scheduled online courses while providing the flexibility to maintain their family and work life while continuing their education.

In September of 2015, Wharmby moved to another company plant, at which time his manager strongly encouraged him to enroll in the MMP program. “I found the Human Resource module very interesting because it is something I am not regularly exposed to in my job, so it was great to gain some insights on that aspect. The modules also reinforced some prior learnings and taught me some new strategies. All the instructors were very knowledgeable about their subject matter, which made the courses very engaging.”

Through the MMP program, Wharmby gained the knowledge and skills to drive improvements in uptime, production capacity, equipment reliability, safety, environmental compliance, economic life of assets, return on investment, and to develop effective communication between departments. In April 2018, he successfully completed the MMP program. “The skills I acquired through the program will assist me with improving our work management processes and helping our reliability program grow,” he comments.

Wharmby concludes, “I have always believed that learning is a lifelong journey. I have been fortunate to work for companies along the way that have supported me in upgrading my skill set. I believe that the more well-rounded your knowledge, the more opportunities are open for you.”