Ontario offers free heavy equipment training
Programs open in September.
The City of Kemptville, Ontario, held an open house Aug. 23 at the Upper Canada County School Board's (UCDSB) TR Leger School of Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education. The event featured two new Motive Power Trades programs, which provide adult applicants with free tuition in industries related to heavy equipment. A spokesperson for the board made a statement:
"Over the last year, we have worked hard to offer some programs related to apprenticeship training for truck and intercity buses, agricultural and heavy equipment technicians."
One of the programs provides free basic training for those who are going to work in the field and get a certification. It is designed for those who have no experience with heavy machinery and would like to learn the basics and gain some skills.
The other is a 12-week hybrid course for those who are already registered as apprentices and want a Level 1 certification. A huge plus of this program is that it allows you to do most of your training online, taking a couple of classes a week. Therefore, the student will not need to leave work for an 8-week break, as with the traditional scheme, and lose some of their income.
The instructor of the program says everyone is given a laptop to study the theory on their own, and students only need to show up to class on Fridays for hands-on practice.
In addition, the pre-apprenticeship program provides for 12 weeks of paid employment upon completion of the course, four weeks for each of the three occupations.
Both programs are fully funded by the state, which means there are no tuition or other costs associated with enrollment.
These projects are expected to help Eastern Ontario fill the shortage of workers in the heavy equipment sector. The curator of the programs thinks it's a great opportunity to keep workers in the region, and hopes to recruit training groups every year.
