Information for Career Counsellors

The demand for operators is high. Our trade is listed among the highest skilled shortages. That said, entering into this industry might not be as easy as some have been led to believe.

Thorough research is critical for those considering a career change into cranes or heavy equipment. OETIO assists potential students with this research and challenges them to explore deeper, to ask the tough questions.

In the end, the only way to learn how to operate the equipment is through hands-on experience. The amount of  time spent operating the equipment (pulling levers) is directly proportional to the skill set that person will be able to offer a potential employer.

When comparing schools, encourage your clients to look at actual time spent in the seat operating a single piece of equipment. Employers routinely tell us they prefer not to move employees from machine to machine until they’ve proven competency on one. When starting out, more equipment is not better, it merely puts one in danger of becoming a “Jack-of-all-trades, but master of none.”

For more detailed information, download the reference materials individually below. If you are a guidance counsellor, and would like to receive printed copies of our information kits, please contact us.

Apprenticeship Skills

Resources

• OETIO application form
• Apprenticeship application form
• OETIO course descriptions
• OETIO course schedule
• OETIO course price list
• Physical demands for operators
• Characteristics of a good operator
• Salary and career expectations