Heavy Duty Training for Heavy Duty Careers

Hundreds of students in the Peace Region are free from the regimented structure of high school, and free to move forward with post-secondary education and career goals.  But for many graduates - the question of what to do with their lives still remains.  In Fort St. John, an annual exposure program is helping students answer that question.

It's called project heavy duty, and it takes quiet and nervous high school students and turns them into confident and competent heavy equipment operators.  A group of about twenty students train for an entire week under veteran operators and contractors.  They start work early in the morning on an actual industrial work site - plowing, excavating, clearing wooded land, and laying pipeline in an area that will soon be developed.  It is almost an entirely volunteer run program, and even the cooks on site are students.  They are chefs in training from North Peace Secondary.

This is the seventh year for project heavy duty and not only do these students receive a full week of training and seat time in top-notch equipment - they get a reality check.  Organizer Richard Coupe says for many students the experience confirms their career goals, but for others, they realize that their passion may be in another industry entirely.

Registration for Project Heavy Duty happens in February and March of each year.  Interested students are asked to contact their school career counselors for more information.