Transolutions Truck Centre (formerly Frieghtliner Manitoba) donated a Highway tractor for the University College of the North’s (UCN) Heavy Duty Mechanics program.

 

Students will gain practical experience working on the 2013 Volvo 630 MR Highway tractor. UCN’s Heavy Duty Mechanics program is designed to give students broad-based training in the heavy duty mechanic field.

 

The program emphasizes sound theoretical training to meet the challenges presented by the increasingly more complex designs found in today’s on- and off-road trucks, as well as construction and forestry equipment.

 

Fundamental skills of the trade are reinforced through exposure to practical applications. “If we don’t help and donate and do things like this, who will?” said Transolutions Co-Founder and President Ken Talbot, “I have a lot of my customers that run up north a lot.

 

Wouldn’t it be great if I had a whole bunch of trained technicians up there helping them out, keeping them on the road? Some day I’m going to have a store up there and I’m going to be leaning on UCN to give me the best technicians.” UCN Heavy Duty Mechanics Instructor, Lyle Skulmoski noticed there was a lack of modern equipment on campus.

 

“Just coming out of the trade myself, I know that our students need equipment to work on to help them succeed in the industry,” Skulmoski said, “More modern technology makes our students’ education and experience more valuable.”

 

The Highway tractor now resides at its new home at UCN, The Pas campus. University College of the North provides learning opportunities to northern communities while respecting diverse Indigenous and northern values.