“It was more than just training.” 

Harlen Chartrand has worked in construction for a long time. Despite his young age of 30, he has spent nearly half of his life as a labourer, working on various job sites. He has come a long way from his small hometown of Camperville, Manitoba. He has worked throughout Canada from the mountain ranges of the Canadian Rockies to the Newfoundland seaside. Evidently, he did not lack construction experience prior to attending the Heavy Equipment Operator course. That being said, being a labourer was extremely physically and mentally demanding, and Harlen felt that he needed a career change. He decided to become a Heavy Equipment Operator. 

Harlen enrolled in OETIM’s October 2021 Heavy Equipment Operator course to gain the necessary knowledge. On the first day of classes, he admits he wasn’t sure what to expect. He hadn’t been in a classroom in a long time. To his surprise, it wasn’t the boring, in-class environment he once remembered. His fellow classmates were in the same boat as him. They all had gone through the assessment process and applied for their spot in the course. He was amongst peers who all possessed a common interest for a future in heavy equipment operation. 

Following that first week of in-class instruction and safety training, the next 6 weeks of the course were at the OETIM field training site. Here, Harlen was finally able to sit in the seat and operate 6 various pieces of heavy equipment. Though he doesn’t have a preferred machine, this part of the training was his favourite. Harlen remarks that “it felt like going to work every morning” and did not feel like he was going to school. Furthermore, Harlen commented that the instructors made it fun while providing crucial instruction for success. One of these major lessons that Harlen took from the course was the importance of operating safely. Looking back on his previous jobs in construction, Harlen had witnessed coworkers who did not follow the necessary safety protocols. Now after his experience at OETIM, he realizes how dangerous that indifference could be, and it is firmly engrained in him how important safety really is. 

Upon his graduation day, Harlen was optimistic about his future. He was excited to find a job as a heavy equipment operator. He now possessed the required safety certificates, his Entry-Level Heavy Equipment Operator certificate, industry job contacts and most importantly, the knowledge and skills he wanted to gain when he started the course. However, Harlen says with a smile that he also left with another thing he did not expect – a new friend. “That guy Jordan will be my friend for life,” Harlen says with a smile. 

To sum up his experience in OETIM’s 7-week Heavy Equipment Operator course, Harlen states he would give it a 10/10 and will continue recommending it to everyone. 

We wish Harlen success in his new career as a Heavy Equipment Operator. 

Author: Bailey Jablonski Armstrong