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High school students learn heavy duty lessons

Elk Valley secondary students got the chance to get behind the wheels of some real life, heavy duty equipment this week.
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Elk Valley students got the chance to test out industrial equipment and machinery this week as part of Project Heavy Duty.


A select group of students from Fernie Secondary, Sparwood Secondary, and Elkford Secondary schools got the chance to get behind the wheels of some real life, heavy duty equipment this week. Project Heavy Duty saw eight students from each school spend four days learning safe heavy equipment operation, while gaining some valuable safety certifications at the same time.

The program starts off with a day of First Aid Occupational Level 1 training and a day touring Teck’s Elk View Mine Operations and Finning. It’s on days three and four that the real fun starts. A makeshift work site is set up at a gravel pit in Sparwood where the students try out everything from bulldozers and cranes to excavators and dump trucks.

“We’re hoping they get a real sense of the importance of due diligence and safety,” commented Brian Conrad, Regional Transitions Coordinator with College of the Rockies. “We also hope that they learn the value first hand from future employers of a strong work ethic and things as simple as being on time, wearing the correct safety gear, asking questions if they’re not sure how to operate something, and basically conducting themselves in a safe manner so they can work their whole life without serious injury.”

The program is a partnership between School District 5, College of the Rockies, Work Safe BC, and several Elk Valley industry-based companies like Teck, Finning, SMS Equipment, and Mainroad, plus the Districts of Sparwood and Elkford, and the City of Fernie.

Conrad believes the program is hugely beneficial not only to the students, but to the many organizations that volunteer their time and equipment. “There are several other very important purposes and goals. One is improved communication between all sectors in the community - people who often don’t get time to talk to each other like teachers, employers, government agencies like Work Safe BC, and the college.”

He went on to say, “It’s really neat that the youth here is seen as so valuable. We know that there is a shortage of labour, and particularly skilled labour and trades people, everywhere in the western world, and notably in industrial places like the Elk Valley.

“So it’s hopefully a benefit to the employers too that the motivation comes to the students to say hey, there’s a really good career in mining, or mining contracting, and I’m going to stick around and find good work here.”

Project Heavy Duty runs every two years in the Elk Valley and students that attend receive two credits for Work Experience 12 after completing the program.