Ontario Funds Free Truck Driver Training for Women and Newcomers

In June 2023, the Ontario government announced $1.3 million for a free truck driver training project aimed at women, newcomers and others from underrepresented groups. Premier Doug Ford made the announcement in Ayr on June 27, 2023, according to a news release from the Office of the Premier.

The labour gap behind it

The province said at least 6,100 more truck drivers were needed across Ontario to fill vacancies and keep goods moving. It also said only two per cent of Ontario truck drivers were women. On average, according to the release, truck drivers in Ontario earned about $26 an hour.

Ford said the program would help break down barriers to bringing more women into trucking.

What the training covered

The project, called Bridging the Gap in Trucking, was led by the Women's Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC) and planned to train 54 people. Participants could receive up to 200 hours of the training needed to obtain an AZ (tractor-trailer) or DZ (straight truck) licence.

Instructors were to use both virtual reality systems and hands-on, in-cab training. The release said trainees would learn to:

• operate a commercial vehicle and perform manoeuvres;
• conduct inspections and maintain vehicles;
• understand commercial vehicle systems and controls.

The project also included training in forklift operation, defensive driving, workplace violence and harassment, and human trafficking awareness. After the program, according to the release, WTFC would work with graduates to help them find jobs as professional drivers.

Support for participants

To remove barriers to taking part, the province said the program would reimburse up to $4,500 for childcare and other living expenses. The release also said participants would be eligible for up to $1,000 for transportation and childcare support, $300 for equipment, and a weekly allowance of $400.

The first in-person cohort was set to begin on July 1, with training offered in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and London.

Where the money came from

The funding came from Ontario's Skills Development Fund, which the province described as an initiative of more than $700 million to connect jobseekers with training. The release said the fund had supported 596 projects in its first three funding rounds and was backed by labour market transfer agreements between the federal and Ontario governments.

Labour Minister Monte McNaughton, WTFC chief executive Shelley Walker and Ontario Trucking Association president Stephen Laskowski all backed the project in the release. Walker and Laskowski both pointed to a shortage of skilled drivers in the province, and Laskowski described women as a key resource for addressing it.

The project was a targeted, small-scale effort: 54 trainee places against a shortfall the province put in the thousands.

Archive: this article describes rules and events as of June 2023. Regulations may have changed since, so check the current rule before relying on it.