The Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC) continues to promote the trucking industry to young people as an exciting career option.
Working closely with the OTA, TBDC’s latest idea is its Introduction to Trucking session, through the organization’s Explore Trucking Careers program.
About 15 participants got an up-close look at life in the trucking industry, describing various types of jobs in the trucking industry and roles of drivers. It highlighted the benefits and opportunities available, and the critical skills needed to succeed. It also pointed out the industry’s demands and rewards.
“TBDC wants to be a bridge connecting newcomers, refugees, students and new permanent residents with employment or a second career in industries like trucking,” Mustafa Ansari, TBDC marketing associate, told Truck News. The session featured a virtual reality simulator, which offered participants an immersive experience of truck driving.
After a roadmap to pursue a trucking career was provided, seven to eight people expressed interest, Ansari said. TBDC is planning an industry visit for them that will include a driver training school and a trucking company, he added.
Meanwhile, the Explore Careers in Trucking initiative is also taking aim young students, hoping to capture their interest in the industry at an early age. The organization created a children’s pamphlet called Trucker Tales – Life of the Road, which features cool illustrations and a short story about trucking.