Heavy Equipment Technician Talk with Roy Tymko

Roy Tymko was born and raised in St. Paul, Alberta, Canada on a small mixed farm operation raising purebred Black Angus cattle. He was involved in minor hockey from a young age. As well as raising both steer and heifer livestock projects with the local 4-H club in both St. Paul and Elk-Point. He graduated high school in 2015 followed by getting his class 1 licenses soon after graduation. When off shift from work Roy enjoys helping on the family farm, attending farm / heavy equipment auctions, building, and tinkering with computers and enjoying the outdoors.

Roy is an 4th year Heavy Equipment Tech. Apprentice with Finning Cat Based out of the D34 Facility in Calgary AB. His formal education would be his current 4-year Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship and 2-year diploma with NWP on the ThinkBIG Program.

However, after dealing with a few fall layoffs with road construction due to freeze up. Followed by looking for work in either plowing snow for contractors working under Alberta Highways or driving truck in the oilfield. It was time to diversify his skillset and go for a journey-person ticket in the trades. Roy applied for a paid apprenticeship as an ThinkBIG apprentice heavy equipment technician for Finning Cat based out of western Canada. Starting his career with Finning in the fall of 2019.

ThinkBIG is a 20-month (80-week) heavy equipment service program created through a partnership between Northwestern Polytech, Caterpillar, and Finning. This globally recognized program that is designed to meet Alberta apprenticeship examination requirements and is only offered at one post-secondary institution in Canada. Over five 16-week blocks, you’ll learn advanced technical knowledge and develop skills through a hands-on approach, working on Cat equipment. Each block is divided into eight weeks of class and lab time on campus and eight weeks of paid practicum at a licensed Finning location.

Description

Heavy-duty equipment mechanics repair, troubleshoot, adjust, overhaul and maintain mobile heavy-duty equipment used in construction, transportation, forestry, mining, oil and gas, material handling, landscaping, land clearing, farming and similar activities. They are employed by companies which own and operate heavy equipment, and by heavy equipment dealers, rental and service establishments, railway transport companies and urban transit systems. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Job Forecast

The employment outlook will be good for Heavy-duty equipment mechanics.

Employment Requirements

This is what you typically need for the job.

Completion of a three- to five-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over four years of work experience and industry courses in heavy equipment repair is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.

Agricultural equipment technician trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Heavy-duty equipment technician trade certification is compulsory in Quebec (only in the construction industry) and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories.

https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/7508/ca

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