Fast-truck your way to a job

If you need to pick up a few skills in order to get back in the workforce and you’re a hands-on type who likes being behind the wheel, consider training to drive trucks or operate heavy equipment (excavators, back hoes, forklifts, dump trucks, etc.). There are ample job opportunities in both fields. For example, according to Ontario Job Futures, there is currently a shortage of truck drivers, and “replacement needs are expected to create a substantial number of job openings yearly.” And the construction industry as a whole — which hires heavy equipment operators — seems to be hot here in Ontario and, of course, it’s booming in the oil fields of Alberta. (In fact, the construction industry looks pretty good in many parts of the country with employment expected to remain at all-time record high levels in Canada for the next decade.)

In addition, the beauty of these types of careers is that you can get trained quickly. This was exemplified by Jim Dillon of Fifth Wheel Training Institute, who recently spoke about both fields at Dixon Hall Employment Services. One of the courses Dillon mentioned trains students to operate six different pieces of heavy equipment in just five weeks. Another program, which runs for seven weeks, trains students in both heavy equipment and truck driving.

The drawback to courses like these is that they don’t come cheap — $10,000 each for both of the programs mentioned above and that’s considered a “special.” (I also looked at other private schools with similar programs and they weren’t low cost either.)

Still, you might be eligible for funding. Check to see if you might qualify for the program listed in our article Second Career, or, if you’re 15 to 30, Skills Link funding might be an option. If you’re involved with an Employment Ontario (EO) agency talk to your counsellor about funding ; alternately, you can call EO directly at 1-800-387-5656. If you’re on Ontario Works, Toronto Employment and Social Services might fund a short-term training course — talk to your caseworker about that option.

For more information:

• In it for the Long Haul
• Options for Short-Term Training

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