Okanagan College meets industry demand with tuition-free truck driver training program

Okanagan College Media Release

In the provincial government’s Labour Market Outlook 2022, transport truck drivers were identified as number two in the top 10 most-needed professions. It’s estimated that the province will need a whopping 18,000 drivers by 2022.

“Those numbers are staggering,” says Steve Moores, Okanagan College’s Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship. “But the College is partnering with both industry and the government to fill that gap and provide workers with the skills they need to be competitive in the future.”

To that end, Okanagan College joined forces seven years ago with Taylor Pro Training, a leader in truck driver training, to offer Class 1 Driver Training. This experiential, full-time program covers the broad range of hands-on skills necessary to find employment as a transport truck driver and can be completed in just six weeks.

What’s more, the provincial government, realizing this looming shortage, has provided full funding for the program to eligible applicants through the Canada-British Columbia Job Fund. Of the 32 students who participated last year in the tuition-free program, 29 found employment in the trucking industry.

To be eligible for the funding, applicants must be unemployed, legally entitled to work in Canada, a resident of B.C., not currently receiving employment insurance or have not received it in the last three years, not enrolled in high school or another post-secondary training program, and not participating in another government-funded program.

The Class 1 Driver Training program has new intakes across the Okanagan, including Revelstoke on Oct. 27, Salmon Arm on Nov. 3, Vernon on Dec. 15, and Penticton on Jan. 19, 2015.

To find out more about the program and eligibility for funding, contact Shawna Klempner at 250-762-5445, ext. 4479, or toll-free at 1-877-755-2266, ext. 4479.