B.C. to cover cost of training youth to become log truck drivers
The province of B.C. will pay for up to eight youth to launch careers as professional logging truck drivers in the Okanagan region.
“Projects like this one support people to find new opportunities in a growing and high-demand sector,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Graduates of the program will have the skills they need to find good-paying jobs, while employers will have access to qualified employees.”
The total cost borne by the province will be nearly $325,000, which will allow the youth to get their education at Okanagan College in Vernon. They’ll undergo 15 weeks of training before taking mandatory entry-level training and B.C. Forest Safety Council Professional Industry Driver theory and mentorship programs. They’ll also receive nine weeks of on-the-job work experience.
“Offering training that meets industry needs is a key component of Okanagan College’s mission to transform lives and communities,” said Danelle Greebe, director of continuing studies and corporate training, Okanagan College.
Training will begin Aug. 30 and the project will run until Feb. 25, 2022. Those interested should contact their local WorkBC centre.
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This is a good way to get drivers but a tax on trucking companies that got a wage subsidy and made over one million dollars in the last 15 months.
Smart move for BC ! If more Provinces don’t start doing this, we won’t have any drivers to haul our groceries, gas, clothes, fridges, stoves, cleaning supplies, diapers, medical equipment, computers, office equipment and office supplies, lumber to build houses, shingles for our roofs, toilets and plumbing supplies for our homes, auto parts to repair our vehicles so we can go to work every day, truck parts to keep the big rigs moving, tires for all vehicles…should I keep going? The only way to get good qualified drivers is to offer incentives such as what the BC Gov’t is offering. It’s one thing for the Gov’t to pay for thier AZ/class 1 course but it’s another thing to pay for thier “on the job training”. This is where there is a HUGE gap- betwwen trucking school and employer. Employers do not have the time, money or resources to train new drivers.
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The difference is B C these drivers can have a choice of jobs because of the insurance coverage. In Ontario Canada many young truck drivers are moving to Vancouver because of more insurance options smaller trucking companies in my opinion.
As an owner for a fleet of gravel trucks and snow plows our insurance company will not allow us to hire anyone that is under 25 years old and a minimum of 3 years experience. Its unfortunate that we have to let a lot of good young people go by the door because of age or experience.
Enough already with the government subsidies to the struggling logging industry -cant they stand on their own 2 feet like the rest of BC businesses and employees?
WE pay them $1M a Day just to keep afloat, they are not contributing to hospitals and schools like they say and only have 1.9% of the bc work force, https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/issue-analysis/35/
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We will have higher lumber costs without support for the logging industry will result less affordable housing in Canada.
In Ontario you can put together a training program for young drivers, recording stages or levels of achievement, all documented and have this approved by your insurance provider. Once approved, they can add permission to train drivers directly out of a certified commercial driving school and they will charge a premium rider on your policy for this. I had this on my policy for 15 years, of course this comes with greater expense of having more claims to deal with along with the added expense of paying extra personnel to do the training.
Great opportunity, can intrested truck drivers from overseas be able to apply for the position