Whitehorse team shows Yukon University students the real work
The best way to learn? Get your hands dirty.
Our Whitehorse team recently donated two engines to Yukon University's Heavy Equipment Technician program.
Service Operations Manager Tara Chmelyk delivered them to Doug McRae, who runs the trades program, so students can practice tear-downs, rebuilds, and diagnostics on real equipment before they ever touch a customer's machine.
Our shop doubles as a classroom now. Last winter, pre-apprenticeship and welding students toured while we had two D11s torn apart for rebuild. Nothing beats seeing the work up close. Several classes have come through since.
We're also at the High School Apprenticeship Expo each year, with the spring one coming up, and partnering with local schools on work experience placements. We've brought on our third student now and already hired the previous two—one for summer work, one as a helper moving into apprenticeship.
With Yukon focused on growing skilled trades across the territory, we're doing our part to build that workforce right here in Whitehorse.
Finning is the world's largest Caterpillar dealer, selling, renting and providing parts and service for equipment and engines to customers across diverse industries, including mining, construction, petroleum, forestry and a wide range of power systems applications. We operate in Western Canada, South America, and UK and Ireland.