New Decade of Heavy Metal Rocks
PGSS student Garett Buxton uses a Sterling Crane to maneuver a tire over a marker- photos 250News
Prince George, B.C.- "This is awesome!" That's how Prince George Secondary School student Garett Buxton describes operating a crane. Buxton is one of 32 students taking part in the Heavy Metal Rocks program presented by the Prince George Construction Association.
This is a special year for the 4 day program because not only does it mark the 10th anniversary of the program that introduces high school students to a variety of trades opportunities, it also comes at a time when there is a new light being focused on the Trades.
"This isn't the decade for the north" says Abigail Fulton, Vice President of the BC Construction Association, "It's the decade of the trades!"
With so many resource oriented projects proposed for the north and the pending retirements of so many baby boomers from the trades, the demand for trades people has never been higher.
"We need to have 1 in every 5 graduates from high school moving into the trades, and right now, we have just 1 in every 32" says Fulton.
It's time for a societal shift in how people view trades training says Fulton "We still have a lot of parents for example who think university is the only way to go, but you look at the major projects that are happening in the north and the kind of job opportunities that are going to be opening up, and we don't need to recruit offshore if we can get our youth interested in the trades and give them the tools and the training they need to get that leg up."
17 year old Kenzie will graduate from PGSS this year. She is dedicated to following a career in the trades, and Heavy Metal Rocks opened her eyes to new opportunities "I like the heavy duty work, and I'm not quite sure on what I want to do in life, so this gave me a chance to try new things." One of the new things she discovered was scaffolding, which she really likes, and she has learned driving the big rock trucks is not for her "The box of it is just too big for me to feel comfortable backing up" .
Heavy Metal rocks offers experience on everything from building scaffolding, learning welding basics and operating skid steers, loaders, excavators, rock trucks, dozers, graders and cranes.
"There are so many options within the trades" says Prince George Construction Association President Rosalind Thorne, "there are so many career paths they can move towards, look at the number of trades that are involved in the construction of a building, from design to finishing trades. But you don't know what you might like if you don't get a peek at it, so this ( Heavy Metal Rocks) gives them a chance to try, and they are so enthused about it all."
Below, students operate some earth moving machinery:
Comments
I noticed on the TV story that many pieces of equipment used in this program had “City of Prince George” ID on them, yet not a word anywhere as to the donation by the taxpayers of this city, of that equipment.
Participating in HMR is for the benefit of our kids and the success of the construction industry. That equates to local workers for our high paying BC construction jobs.
HMR Is our chance to give back, both in donated labor and equipment. We don’t do it for the public recognition, Dragonmaster, as you may seem to think.
You think that’s what I seem to think? Think again.
Why are city tax dollars being handed out to fund training that industry should be funding?
The city staff donate time also.
Playing with huge earthmoving Tonka toys so the young ‘uns can find out there isn’t an app on their iPhone for these things? After playtime, take ’em to the bank to show them how much and what it takes to purchase one. After all there are economics attached to everything.
Good question and excellent point Dragon! Why is city taxpayer money being used to fund training that industry should be funding?
Friend of mine has just complete her millwright course. Needs apprenticeship hours training, companies are too cheap to train her / them! Yet they complain about the lack of qualified trades people.
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