From Trauma to Triumph:How vocational <strong>rehab</strong>ilitationdecisions change livesBy Shawn BonnoughAfter a career in manufacturing, an excruciatingdislocated elbow injury put Dave Milligan in theWCB Saskatchewan office hoping for vocationalretraining. At 50 years old, Milligan’s age didn’thelp his case for retraining in the manufacturingbackground he was familiar with. Milligan lookedat Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science andTechnology but knew from the outset he wouldn’tbe happy in a white-collar computer-driven job.With respect, Milligan intently listened while hisvocational <strong>rehab</strong>ilitation case manager describedother training options. “My worker was veryunderstanding and supportive, you could seehow invested she was, she really wanted thebest fit for me,” says Milligan. “After talkingabout different options nothing really grabbed myattention, and then she highlighted a vocationalcollege in Alberta that was creating what seemedto be overly optimistic employment figures forinjured workers like me.” Milligan was referring tothe 94.8 per cent of graduates employed in theindustry and who earn over $70K at a licensedheavy equipment training college in Alberta.During his initial career research, Milligan admitsthat many oilfield employers seemed skepticalof graduates from most equipment trainingprograms who ultimately were not prepared forthe real world, “but this college was different,”says Milligan. “They are half ‘training-school’and half ‘employment-agency’. They helped mebecome a great heavy equipment operator withfive safety tickets and training on five differentmachines.”During his labour market research beforeregistering for college, Milligan admits that theclaims for graduatingstudents seemedunrealistic, until calls toemployers confirmed thatthese guys have a greatreputation and employersvisit the college andrecruit right out of theclassroom.Milligan says he wasintrigued by the idea ofoperating machinery buthated the idea of three tofour years for a traditionaltrade. Once Milligan hadproof that heavy equipment field training wouldstart him on a career path that he considered“fun” and would ultimately net him paychequesthat exceed medical and accounting graduates,Milligan says he was sold.“My [case manager]was very understandingand supportive. I couldsee she really wantedthe best fit for me.”Milligan graduated from High Velocity EquipmentTraining College (HVET) 16 months ago and, likemany graduates, was recruited on the same dayhe graduated. Milligan soon had a position inAlberta operating an excavator for a gas drillingrig and uses forks to unload trucks. “HVET taughtme to use forks on an excavator. This may notseem like a big deal, but none of the otherschools taught anything like specialized oilfieldoperations. I learned a lot but that one specificskill made me stand out and is what got me thejob where I work now,” explains Milligan.Milligan describes HVET as thorough andprofessional. Training included job search skillsand actual road building, oilfield, and constructionscenarios that prepared him for the jobsite. “Fromday one I was treated with respect but also likean employee and expected to perform and worka full eight-hour day. HVET didn’t operate on aloose schedule like most colleges where youdrop in to a classroom a couple of days a week;instead it was all day, every day between theclassroom and the machines, and it mentally andphysically prepared me for the job. They showedme ways to work around my injury and had a lotof experience helping clients like me.”“The career search training that HVET offerswas very valuable as well,” stated Milligan. Hefelt it gave him extra confidence that cameacross to the employer. HVET offers an onsite“employability counsellor” who works closelywith industry employers and students to placegraduates in careers that suit them.When asked about the future for the industryMilligan replied, “The industry is boomingbut things are changing, experienced heavyequipment operators will need to be provinciallyticketed in the future. Employers bidding ongovernment jobs require a provincial ticket notjust another tailgate school offering machinehours. Without a college endorsement jobsin the industry are going to get tougher, evenfor an experienced operator without a ticket.If you have heavy equipment experience youshould challenge the exam at HVET and getyour provincial operators ticket. That’s whatemployers need to have in order to comply withOccupational Health and Safety!”Milligan wraps up his experience with “I’mgrateful to the VR case manager that believedin me because I have tripled my income and,in one year, become a senior operator. I’m wellrespected by my boss and peers, they trust meand I love what I do! Case managers have atough job to do and they have to make toughdecisions every day; my worker made a gooddecision and I hope she loves her work as muchas I do!”Written by Shawn Bonnough,BComm. and instructorof the BCIT co-marketedFacilitators Advanced SkillsTraining (FAST) “train-thetrainer”programFor more information onHigh Velocity EquipmentTraining College www.heavymetaltraining.com(866-963-4766)8
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