Dura-Line Academy: Building a Foundation for Lasting Success in Rural Alberta
February 10, 2026
CHALLENGE:
Training Skilled Installers to Build Connectivity for Future Generations
Clearwater County, Alberta, situated at the foot of the Canadian Rockies, boasts majestic mountain landscapes and rolling farmlands. Despite its location at the edge of a tourist destination that draws travelers from around the world, expanding connectivity in Clearwater County is no different from most other rural areas across North America: expensive and logistically challenging.
“The reason we’re building this is for rural access to the internet. People in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer already have world-class fiber optic connectivity—out in the rurals, we don’t have that. It’s expensive, it takes time to build, and there are many challenges compared to your typical urban build. For example, one of our biggest challenges is the distance to houses,” notes Cam McDonald, Information Technology Manager, Corporate Services for Clearwater County, Alberta.
Building a Network to Last the Test of Time
To serve its population of less than 12,000, the county wanted to ensure reliable connectivity. This meant a comprehensive fiber-to-the-home build that would cover nearly the entire county.
The county also knew that to maximize the grant funds this project relied on, they’d need to build a robust network that would last for generations to come. Because the project relies on public funds, McDonald explained why building the network to a high standard would be critical to its quality and longevity.
“What we’re trying to do, by using the proper fiber, proper installation methods, and conduit, is to make this network last 50+ years. That’s why we’re putting our fiber in conduit instead of direct burying – we’re trying to protect our assets because this is for myself, my grandchildren, and on into the future.”
Choosing the Right Training for the Job
But for a project of this size, especially in a remote community, there were many moving parts. Clearwater County partnered with multiple contractors, engineering firms, and consultants from across the region, so getting everyone involved on the same page and fostering accountability was the next challenge.
Field technicians traveled from neighboring provinces to supply the labor and skills needed to complete the work. These technicians brought a wide range of skills and knowledge from across the construction industry, but little training in broadband infrastructure.
McDonald and his team sought product-specific, customized training they felt would be necessary to get everyone on this project up to speed and ready to get into the field. Customization was necessary to meet the unique needs of the project, and Clearwater County also wanted the training process to include a means to ensure their installers would be accountable for their learning.
And while many field training programs exist, McDonald, his team, and their contractor partners understood that in-person training would require installers to spend additional time out of the field.
SOLUTION
Accessible, Engaging Online Training to Get Today’s Workforce Field Ready Faster
Given the disparate locations and schedules of their crews, Clearwater County decided on mandatory online training for installers, county inspectors, and administrative staff alike. To ensure that the curriculum would meet their need for customization, accessibility, and accountability, they worked with Dura-Line to design a custom course package that gave installers a thorough introduction to the products they’d be using, installation and fiber placement methods, and theoretical topics, like coefficient of friction and fill ratio.
Course content was focused and engaging—a plus when installers are short on time and need knowledge they can apply to the job at hand.
“The content is quick and to the point; there’s not a lot of fluff.” ~ Cam McDonald
The course length – typically just 15 minutes each – meant that completing the entire bundle would be manageable. The courses were offered online and accessible at any time, so installers from each crew and county office could take them at their convenience. And because Dura-Line Academy offers regular reporting, McDonald and his team could track the progress and participation of the entire training effort.
RESULTS
Successful Upskilling Ensures a Robust and Lasting Network
As McDonald and his team rolled out the courses, the payoff of required training became clear. The customized course content reduced anxieties the crews and their managers had about first-time product use, and McDonald notes that he and his team gained confidence and peace of mind from knowing that each of the crews received training that would help them level the playing field.
“The reason we decided to use a customized online training platform was so that we had consistency among all our contractors. It’s been a real help to us to know that we have a certain standard, so that our inspectors know when they look at something, they can say whether or not it’s done right—it’s really helpful to us.”
One of Clearwater County’s primary contractors, Rohl Projects, also saw the benefits of accessible online training for their crews. Brandon Dombroski, Strategic Accounts Director for Rohl, notes that his crews – using FuturePath for the first time – benefitted from training that they could access on the go and at their own pace.
“This Clearwater County project is our first time using Dura-Line’s FuturePath, and in preparation for it, we worked with the account team at Dura-Line, who gave us access to Dura-Line Academy, where our supervisors and technicians and designers all got to start interacting with the product beforehand. It was really helpful – the account team helped us get access to the portal even before the project kicked off so that we were ready.”
Because the courses were entirely online, installers wasted no time travelling to and from an onsite location for instruction, and were able to get trained and into the field quicker.
“The easiest way to get everything launched was through the online platform. It meant that our folks could join the training from wherever and whenever they had time available, instead of the training practices that we’ve seen, where a new product is being launched and you have to take everybody out of the field and put them in a classroom or a warehouse setting and walk them through it – this was on-demand,” Dombroski shares.
“Feedback from our contractors and our inspectors has been positive – they appreciate the shortness of the courses, because a lot of these guys are busy and they get it done on their laptop or on their phone in their truck, and they get right out and on to the job. The convenience of it is huge,” McDonald echoes.
I liked that none of the courses were particularly long; it was nice bite-sized chunks, and you really get that sense of accomplishment as you're working through the courses. It wasn't like 'Oh jeez, I have to sit through another one of these' — it was, ‘Yeah, I can do another one,' and the next thing you know, several hours go by as I'm working through all of them."
~ Barry Langendoen
Learners, too, like Clearwater County Field Inspector Barry Langendoen, found the short-form content kept the training fresh and engaging.
"I liked that none of the courses were particularly long; it was nice bite-sized chunks, and you really get that sense of accomplishment as you're working through the courses. It wasn't like 'Oh jeez, I have to sit through another one of these' — it was, ‘Yeah, I can do another one,' and the next thing you know, several hours go by as I'm working through all of them," Langendoen shares.
With construction now well underway, Dura-Line Academy helped installers as well as managers and inspectors get field ready, on the go and on their own schedules. The online format, bite-sized courses, and engaging content enhanced their existing hands-on construction training, and most important, ensured that installers were prepared to correctly build a network that will withstand the test of time.
