EDMONTON, Alta. – Edmonton’s Jennifer Lesnik is the first woman to earn Kenworth’s certified master technician status.

Now in her 12th year as a service technician and having worked for Edmonton Kenworth Group since 2007, Lesnik’s achievement spans all of Canada and the U.S.

“Jennifer is a great technician and we couldn’t be more proud of her in achieving this certification,” said Gary King, Edmonton Kenworth president and dealer principal. “This caps off all the hard work she has put in over the years and we look forward to her continued success with our dealer group. As the only woman to have achieved this status, she sets an excellent example and we hope more women soon follow in her footsteps.”

Kenworth’s dealer technicians must complete a rigorous training system, including classroom time, online, and self-study components to become a master technician.

The courses and exams are conducted and evaluated by instructors, with technicians needing to show they have mastered the skills needed to be successful in performing all diagnostics, repair, and maintenance procedures before being recognized as a master technician. It is estimated to take more than 570 hours to complete the courses and training, as well as the additional 6,000 hours of training required to become a licensed journeyman heavy equipment technician in Canada.

“It feels amazing to have completed this certification and become a Kenworth master technician,” said Lesnik. “It’s hard work and it takes a lot of time to complete, especially when you work full-time during that training, but now that it’s over, I feel confident in my ability to handle any of my customers’ needs.”

Now a master technician, Lesnik will be responsible for disabled trucks within a 160-km radius of Edmonton Kenworth – Leduc, working on such components as PACCAR engines and PACCAR and Allison transmissions.

“With the training and experience I have, I’m prepared to quickly diagnose a problem, fix it, and get the truck operator back on the road in a timely manner,” said Lesnik. “Any part that can be spec’d in a Kenworth truck, we’re prepared to service.”

In addition to her hard work, Lesnik credits the support she has received from the staff at Edmonton Kenworth which instilled the confidence she needed to be able to pursue such an achievement.

“Since my first day with Edmonton Kenworth, the staff there have treated me just like everyone else, which is what I want,” said Lesnik. “As long as you’re capable of doing the work, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman. The close relationships I’ve made over the years and the encouragement I’ve received to go after the Kenworth master technician certification helped a lot.”