Grade nine students across Canada will spend Nov. 1 in a parent’s, friend’s or volunteer’s workplace learning about a possible career path.
Take Our Kids to Work day is a national program highlighting a range of careers to help students connect school, work, and their future plans. Trucking HR Canada has joined up with The Learning Partnership, a national organization dedicated to promoting and advancing publicly funded education, to champion this event – and is asking the industry to take part.
“This program offers trucking employers with a unique opportunity to showcase their workplace and get up-and-coming workers excited about careers in trucking,” says David Bradley, acting CEO of Trucking HR Canada. “Last year, 60% of Trucking HR Canada’s Top Fleet Employers participated in the program— and we’re asking even more fleets to take part this year.”
Millennials are now the largest cohort in the Canadian workforce, yet are still largely under-represented in the trucking industry. A recent study prepared for the Canadian Trucking Alliance predicts a driver gap of 34,000 by 2024, and the ratio of younger to older workers continues to increase. The average age of a Canadian truck driver is 49,7 years older than the average Canadian worker, and less than 15% of drivers are between 25–34 years old. But our industry can reverse this trend by showing young people that trucking is a welcoming profession with plenty of possibilities. Employer participation in this program is meant to expose young people to trucking early so they consider this profession down the road.
To learn more about the program, including tips for involving students, and to download an employer resources toolkit for Take Our Kids to Work, visit the Trucking HR Canada website at: truckinghr.com, or contact them directly at: theTeam@truckinghr.com