Southland International Trucks LTD at in Lethbridge, is very involved with technical schools, high schools, and middle schools. Over the years they have built a strong relationship and are very engaged with the future workforce. Their goal is to get them engaged with the trucking industry at an early age. They collaborate with them to ensure curriculum, technology and tools are optimized for the students and instructors. They also have introduced dealership opportunities to students through the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), job shadowing, and tours of their facility. During April, Southland participated in the EPIC (Exploring Possible Industries & Careers) project, as they have done for several years. EPIC is a large-scale event that features a variety of career pathways from a wide variety of different sectors. Rob Mitchell, Service Manager, and Corny Friesen, a Diagnostic Technician, spend a day discussing their jobs with area students. They host 10, 20-minute sessions with 5 to 6 students at a time and introduce them to the trades of heavy-duty technician and heavy-duty parts technician. This interaction allows students to experience a small part of the job and gain insight into what it means to be a technician. Corny connects the truck to the electronic service tools and demonstrates the software. Rob discusses some of the upcoming technology and showcases the dealership and meets with prospective technicians. Congratulations to Southland International for their continued efforts to keep growing the next generation of technicians. For more information about EPIC check out their website.
