SAINT-QUENTIN (GNB) – Training in forest trucking was launched this week at the Polyvalente Alexandre-J.-Savoie in Saint-Quentin.

The program, the only one of its kind offered in French in the Maritimes, is the result of a partnership between the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB), and the Centre de formation en Transport de Charlesbourg (CFTC).

Upon completion of 12 weeks of training, including a four-week practicum, students will receive joint certification from the college and the CFTC. They will also receive a Class 1 driver's licence, which authorizes the holder to drive a truck tractor.

"The provincial government is pleased to contribute to this training initiative," said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Danny Soucy. "Through this partnership with the college, we can offer our employment services clients training in a high-demand field in the region."

The training is already a success. The 12 spaces available filled-up fast, and some students already have job opportunities lined up upon completion of the program.

"One of the attractions of this program is the combination of theory in the classroom and practical training on the simulator and on the road during the practicums," said Liane Roy, president and chief executive officer of the CCNB. "This training will help students enter the labour market quickly and efficiently. The new customized training shows that the college is keeping up with industry and is able to adapt its training to meet the needs, in this case an urgent need, in the transportation and forestry fields."

A study of labour needs in the forestry sector carried out in the spring of 2012 showed major gaps in several areas, including transportation.

The CCNB is a college corporation that is focused on its student population but with an open world view. It contributes to the development of individuals and of Acadian and francophone society by offering more than 95 technical and vocational training programs on its five campuses to meet labour market needs. In 2011-2012, the college accepted more than 8,000 students in its regular and continuing education programs, and achieved a placement rate of 85 per cent of graduates in the year following graduation. As an entrepreneurial and innovative college, CCNB adapts to socio-economic conditions, supports the activities of applied research, and encourages innovation.



09-04-13