Getting kids into trucks
TORONTO — Trucking is more than driving. It’s logistics; computer science, psychology, high finance and finally, it can be fun and quite lucrative, too.
However, far too few young people are choosing trucking as a metier. So it’s high time students understand that the trucking biz offers a broad range of rewarding career choices.
That’s the message that a special working group consisting of truckers, equipment manufacturers, educators and the federal government wants to send out to students across Ontario.
To that end, the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council (CTHRC) has prepared a colorful and very user-friendly information kit about trucking careers. Last week, a group consisting of representatives of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA); the OTA’s Allied Trades Division, the CTHRC, the Ontario School Counsellors Association and the Toronto District School Board announced the distribution of thousands of the kits to local students.
“There is a critical long-term labor shortage confronting the Ontario trucking industry,” OTA President David Bradley said. “And we need to do all we can to make young people aware of the career opportunities this great industry provides in all occupations, whether working for a trucking company or one of the many industry suppliers.”
There’s information about working conditions, remuneration and how much schooling you need (or don’t need) to get started. You really get a feeling that trucking jobs cover the waterfront, from planning right through to lube jobs.
“By getting the CTHRC career information packages into the hands of Ontario’s high-school guidance counsellors, we hope to elevate the profile of the industry as a viable career option for more of today’s students,” he said.
What’s also nifty is that the kit includes a lively and informative CD for those students who aren’t into reading glossy brochures.
“We’re looking for people with drive, not just people who can drive,” he added.
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