Southeast College's Estevan campus offers several options for those who are interested in learning how to become a truck driver.
Courses include a five-day option, designated to those who have experience behind the wheel of a truck and are looking to gain their licence, and a 10-day course for those who are new to the world of trucking.
Sheena Onrait, manager for marketing and communications at the Southeast College, said that the programs have been around for a number of years, and continue to provide valuable training and expertise for anyone interested in learning the trade.
“Southeast College has a long history of offering truck driver training out of our Estevan campus. For many years we’ve offered both the five-day programs and 10-day programs,” said Onrait.
“The program has been around for at least 11 years. Originally we had our program hosted through the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, then they went away from providing training, so it was at that time that 18 Wheels Training Services started in Regina using a lot of the same trainers, so we’ve been in a working relationship with 18 Wheels for at least the past six or seven years, maybe even longer.”
Those who participate in the training program are given a road exam held through SGI, and are able to leave the program with their 1A license, allowing them to drive trucks professionally.
Attendance numbers for the program have fluctuated yearly, but maintain a high demand.
“Attendance goes in ebbs and flows. The last couple of months have been extremely busy for the program,” said Onrait.
“For the most part we have a couple of five-day programs set up every month, because those are our most popular by far, then if demand exceeds what we have set up we try to accommodate students by setting up additional courses and bringing additional trainers down to focus on those students.”
The courses offered have a heavy focus on real-world, practical skills, which enable program participants to leave the course ready to deal with any situation that may arise.
“With any driving training program, or any training program that focuses on people on the roads or just working in the industry, it's important to have a solid instructional backing,” said Onrait.
“The trainers that we use are the key to our program’s success. Their combined years of experience are over 110 years. It’s good to have instructors that have that experience, and who have worked in the industry for a long time, so they can pass their knowledge on to new drivers. We think this training is important and purposeful and were glad to offer it.”
Those who enrol in the program are also eligible for the Canada Saskatchewan Job Grant, which is typically issued by the participant’s employer, and can cover up to one-third of the program’s total cost.
“The best way for people who are interested in taking the course to get information is to just to give us a call,” said Onrait.
“A lot of the information is on the website, but you can't enrol on the website because there is a lot of different things, such as your learner's permit, that students will need to have in order to enrol in the courses. We always like to talk to people about what they will need and what they will have to do to be successful in the course.”
