MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (Oct. 17, 2003) — The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada is leading a research project aimed at the development of a Prior Learning Assessment that can be used as a screening tool for truck fleets in determining if potential truck drivers are suited to the industry.

The PMTC says the program will be a useful tool to employers, training schools, and agencies that fund training such as Human Resources Development Canada, in determining if a candidate’s knowledge and skills are truly geared towards trucking before committing to funding and training costs.

The program will measure both “soft skills” and “practical experience,” and measure those attributes against an established table of essential skills for the position that is being applied for. Such analysis can help both the employer and prospective truck driver identify job skills that need additional development, which could become the specific focus of upgraded training, the PMTC says.

The new research being done by the PMTC — in cooperation with the Advisory Council for Truck Safety — will be based on a prior Occupational Analysis already developed by the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council.