2018 marked the 10th year of the Heavy Metal Rocks event in Kamloops. This project provides opportunities for 26 Grade 11 and 12 students from the School District No. 73 to explore career opportunities in the heavy equipment operator field.
The program has been a great success over the last ten years due to the amazing support of the local Kamloops construction industry! SICA is proud to have been volunteering and contributing to the program since it's inception.
Students get the opportunity to operate 13 different pieces of heavy equipment over a 2 ½ day period, with the guidance of experienced operators who volunteer their time to act as mentors. In addition to hands-on experience, the students get certified in the following certificates; CSTS, First Aid, and WHMIS. Plus, they gain valuable confidence from completing each step in the process.
"Having participated on the Steering Committee for Heavy Metal Rocks in Kamloops since its inception, it has been amazing to see the progression of this program. In the beginning, it was hard to find enough students to participate, and now we have so many more applicants that the screening process has become pretty intense. The construction community here in Kamloops is incredible, they are the reason this program is still around!" said Aleda Styan, SICA Project Services Coordinator.
Many of the students have gone on to careers in the trades and all of them have gained valuable life-experience from participating. With recent stats showing that only 1 in 70 high school students are choosing a career in the trades within one year of graduation, this program is extremely valuable in showing the career opportunities that exist in the construction industry.
We would like to thank our SICA members who helped make this year’s event such a success:
For more information on the program please visit School District No. 73's website.
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