Services and repairs construction and other heavy industrial mobile and stationary equipment.
Wage Rate: $16.20 (Construction minimum wage, not including benefits)
Take your mechanical ability and put it with your interest in all types of machinery, engines, electronics and precision testing equipment, and you could have what it takes for a career as a Heavy Duty Equipment Technician!
Heavy Duty Equipment Technicians maintain, repair and overhaul mobile heavy equipment like highway transport vehicles, construction and earth-moving equipment, cranes, paving equipment, tractors and mobile industrial equipment.
If you are employed by an organization that maintains its own fleet of heavy-duty equipment, you would follow a regular checklist of inspections for preventive maintenance and make any necessary repairs. In a large or specialized shop, you may specialize in engine overhaul, power shift transmissions, fuel pumps and injectors, hydraulic controls, electrical and electronic equipment, air conditioning or track equipment.
The working environment for Heavy Duty Equipment Technicians varies considerably from one job to another. Some work primarily indoors while others work outdoors at construction sites.
You can get a jump-start on your future career in the construction trades by checking out construction courses offered at colleges and high schools. These hands-on courses will help you build the basic skills you will use in the construction industry.
While you're still in high school, you can begin an apprenticeship program in the trade of Heavy Duty Equipment Technician as a Senior Years Apprentice and earn both high school and apprenticeship credits at the same time. After high school graduation, many Senior Years apprentices continue in regular, full-time apprenticeship programs.
To enter the apprenticeship program fulltime, you must be at least 16, be a Senior 4 graduate, or, as a mature student, have an equivalent academic standing. Courses in English, Math and Science are particularly important.
4 levels including four in-school sessions.
You must have a qualified employer who is willing to train you as an apprentice. To register in the apprenticeship program, you and your employer complete an application form together and submit it to the Apprenticeship Branch. Once your application is approved, apprenticeship training begins under the supervision of a certified journeyperson.
The apprenticeship is four levels. Each level consists of on-the-job practical experience and some in-school technical training. (Work hours and school time must total at least 1800 hours per level.) Applicants who have successfully completed related courses of study or work experience may be eligible for advanced standing in the apprenticeship program.
The Apprenticeship Branch arranges your classroom technical training. When you go to school, you pay a small portion of the tuition and are responsible for the cost of any required books and supplies. Most apprentices are eligible for employment insurance (EI) when they go to school.
When you successfully complete all levels of training, and score at least 70 % on your final examination, you receive a Certificate of Qualification confirming your status as a certified journeyperson. Your certificate also has "Red Seal" endorsement that means your trade qualifications are generally recognized throughout most of Canada.
For more detailed information on apprenticeship training in this trade, check the Apprenticeship web site at : http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/aet/apprent/index.htm
Wage Rate: $16.20 (Construction minimum wage, not including benefits).
Employers provide holiday and vacation pay and may also offer other benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits.
You can find work with many busy firms that own or lease heavy equipment used in the construction, mining, forestry, material handling, landscaping, land clearing, agriculture and transportation industries.
As an experienced Heavy Duty Equipment Technician, you can advance to shop supervisor or service manager positions. With additional training, you can transfer your skills and knowledge to positions in sales or purchasing, planning or maintenance. You can also consider becoming certified in other similar trades like Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, Agricultural Equipment Technician, Truck and Transport Mechanic, Millwright or Motor Vehicle Mechanic.