Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Truck and Coach Technician Industry Offers Options

One of the largest industries in Canada is the transportation industry. As such, this field has a variety of areas that range from automotive and brake and alignment service to motorcycle and airplane service, and much more. At Centennial College, students of the two-year Truck and Coach Technician (Co-op Apprenticeship) learn all the skills they need to enter positions such as: truck and coach technician, service writer/ advisor, service manager, college teacher/ industry teacher and truck or coach company representative.

Priding itself on the flexibility it offers students, the Truck and Coach technician can be completed in a few formats. This ensures that students can schedule their education around their other responsibilities. First, the Truck and Coach Technician’s auto mechanic courses can be completed in a format called day-release. This option sees students spend one day of the five-day working week on campus. They do this for 32 weeks through the school year, experiencing between a six to eight hour school day.

If, however, this doesn’t suit a student’s schedule, he or she may complete the Truck and Coach Technician program through block release. Students who opt for this format obtain schooling three times for three advancing phases.

Whether they choose the block or day release format, truck technician students are trained by instructors with experience in the field to master applied mechanics, vehicle dynamics as well as component design and repair as it applies to the apprenticeship curriculum. This is achieved through various levels that continuously introduce more advanced skills and topics. Specific auto mechanic courses in this Truck and Coach Technician co-op include: Engine Systems, Brake Systems, Electrical Systems, Fuel Systems, Truck and Coach Logistics, Preventative Maintenance, and more. Students are also taught the business aspect of the Truck and Coach Technician field through topics such as organizational behaviour, trade practices and fixed operations management.

Aside from being guided by industry professionals, students of the Truck and Coach Technician program also have the advantage of training from the province’s largest transportation training centre. Centennial College’s Ashtonbee Campus is set up to mimic real workshops and includes truck and coach assemblies in fully equipped labs.

When students are comfortable with the basic concepts of the Truck and Coach Technician field, they are sent to spend time with their employers. Here, they apply what they have learned, gain real world experience and network. They then return to Centennial College to continue with their auto mechanic courses. Students graduate with an Ontario College Diploma.

Applicants to the Truck and Coach Technician offering must have completed an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or General Educational Development (GED) or equivalent. In addition, they must have finished the English 12 C or U or equivalent or skills assessment. Lastly, they may be required to present a resume and questionnaire that describes their experience and aptitude. Successful applicants must be eligible to work in Ontario and have an Ontario driver’s license.


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