Heavy Duty Mechanics turns out to be light load

Okanagan College Media Release

Imagine thinking you could never get it right. Now imagine turning that belief on its head, and you’ll understand why Shistar Pollon can’t get enough of Okanagan College.

The 27-year-old single mother left school at age 14 and landed in construction. But after years of working on the bottom rung, she found herself battling a bout of lay-offs. Then her home was hit with a housefire, and her boyfriend of six years passed away. It was a heavy load.

But things quickly changed for the better when she heard about Okanagan College’s Women in Trades program, and landed in the apprenticeship program for heavy duty commercial transport mechanics.

“This is a life-changing thing for me. I never graduated from high school,” said Pollon, one of 19 students already enrolled in Okanagan College’s Heavy Duty Commercial Transport mechanic program. The College is launching a new intake March 14, and Pollon says there’s no shortage of work out there, with wages averaging more than $30/hour.

So far, there’s every sign she’ll succeed. Instructors tell her she’s a natural, and so far the marks coming in confirm that – 91 per cent, 80 per cent, and even 100 per cent on a few projects.

With only a few weeks under her belt, Pollon is committed to making it onto the Dean’s list, and then heading up north with her daughter where companies are clamouring for qualified people to work on big rigs – from cats to cranes and semi-trailers.

“People in Prince George and Fort McMurray are screaming for heavy duty mechanics. When I did my research there was 40 or even 50 jobs offerings up there, and it was all heavy duty mechanics.”

“I’m really doing the best that I can,” said Pollon, who received a scholarship to get into the program. “I want the instructors to know I’m not wasting their time.”

Pollon says unlike regular mechanics, physical strength is no issue when it comes to the big pieces of equipment. Hoists do all the heavy lifting and it’s simply a matter of getting in there to get the job done.

Once Pollon is up north, she plans to continue her training and obtain as many tickets as she can so that her skills continue to be in high demand.

“A few years ago, I never have thought I’d be here. I’ve worked so hard my whole life, and now there’s a chance to change things not just for me, but for my daughter. I want to show my daughter that it is possible to do anything you want to do. I want to graduate top of my class, and I set that target high because it keeps me on my game.”

Heavy Duty Commercial Transport Mechanics overhaul, repair and service equipment such as graders, loaders, shovels, tractors, trucks, forklifts, drills, and wheeled and tracked vehicles. Working from manufacturers' specifications, they identify and repair problems in structural, mechanical, or hydraulic systems.

For more information about the Heavy Duty Commercial Transport Mechanic program, call Jen Hamilton in the Trades office at, 250-575-6194.

There is currently funding available for eligible women entering trades programs at Okanagan College.