Rush Truck Centres have donated a commercial truck to provide practical training support to the Level 1 Commercial Vehicle Apprenticeship Training Program established at the Kemptville Campus. The Program, which is a joint initiative of the Upper Canada District School Board, the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, le Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, and le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, is offered to High School OYAP students, who will exit the program as a completed level 1 apprentice.
Anthony MacKay, the teacher of the program, pointed out the value of the truck which was donated. “The program needed a truck with an air brake system and complex electrical systems. We reached out to our industry partner, Rush Truck Centres, and they were able to come up with this new International truck to be donated to our program.”
The program provides the basics for in-class and practical learning for three motive power trades: Agricultural Equipment Technician, Heavy Duty Equipment Technician, and Truck and Coach Technician. The course provides students the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge through in-class learning and practical experiences that are specific to these related careers.
The program, which began classes on October 12, has been made available to qualified students enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program [OYAP], or students who are working toward completing their Ontario Secondary School Diploma and interested in completing a co-op, or enrolling in OYAP. The program has full registration, with twenty students enrolled from the four participating school boards.
Actually getting the truck to the Campus was a major effort, and involved sourcing the truck through Navistar, the owners of International Trucks, who arranged to transport the truck from the US to Kemptville. Anthony McKay was full of praise for the many people involved in the move.
“Special thank you goes to Neil Clark of Blacks Transport Ltd. out of West Guilford, Ontario, for his efforts in getting the truck here from the USA; our President, Richard Shortt, reached out to Neil and asked for help transporting the truck to Kemptville and he was more than willing to help such a great cause. David Webster has been a great resource for our program and has acted as a liaison between our program and Rush Truck Centres as well as Navistar themselves.”
The truck donation, and the role played by Rush Truck Centre staff, is a continuation of the role played by Gerald Tallman in past years, as he was always a firm supporter, not only of this community, but of the continuing education of students here. The Campus is developing a very valuable role in the advancement of education in North Grenville and surrounding areas.
The involvement of so many corporate and individual actors in the donation underlines Anthony McKay’s comment on the enterprise: “Our program could not be what it is without the generous donations and ongoing support for our program.”
