Heavy Duty Equipment Technician
A Heavy Duty Equipment Technician inspects, diagnoses, troubleshoots, repairs, and verifies the repair of heavy duty equipment. They work on different types of heavy duty equipment such as draft shaft drive axle assemblies, final drive, structure components and accessories, tires, wheels, frames and undercarriages, and ground engaging equipment and attachments. Specifically, a Heavy Duty Equipment Technician:
- inspects, identifies, diagnoses, troubleshoots, repairs, and modifies systems, components, accessories and attachments (including checking for wear/damage/ defects/ problems, analysing performance and function, servicing, replacing, reprogramming, reconditioning, exchanging, adjusting, replacing and aligning)
- works on multiple systems such as: engines, fuel, electrical, hydrostatic and transmission, suspension, hydraulic, transmissions, and engine management, climate control, intake exhaust and emission control, steering, braking, drive, structural components, frames and undercarriages as well as ground engaging equipment
- works in multiple sectors/industries such as mines, construction, forestry, marine, transportation, natural resources, and materials-handling
Red Seal trade
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
An apprenticeship training program consists of on-the-job and in-school training. Generally, the time-frame to become competent in the trade of Heavy Duty Equipment Technician is 7000 hours (approximately three and a half years) consisting of 6280 hours of on-the-job work experience and 720 hours of in-school training.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
An apprenticeship involves practical training provided on-the-job by a skilled worker, or trainer. The skills or competencies to be developed are set out by the trade’s Apprenticeship Training Standard and are recognized by the industry as being essential to the practice of the trade.
As these essential skills are developed, the apprentice’s sponsor or trainer signs the relevant sections of the training standard to indicate that the apprentice has met the individual training objectives by demonstrating the skills required of a skilled worker, or journeyperson, in the trade.
IN-SCHOOL TRAINING
A Heavy Duty Equipment Technician apprenticeship includes three levels of theoretical training, which includes but is not limited to instruction in:
- trade practices including welding and oxy-fuel processes
- fluid power systems
- engine systems
- electrical and electronic systems
- drive train systems
- fuel systems
- steering, tire and braking systems
- climate control systems
Depending on the training delivery agency, in-school training may be available in one of the following ways:
- block release (full-time, for a set number of weeks)
- day release (one day per week from September to June)
- part-time (night-school programs)
- alternative delivery (online, correspondence, etc.)
Heavy Duty Equipment Technician is a trade named under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021.
This trade has an apprenticeship program that is administered by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Upon completion of an apprenticeship program, the Ministry issues a Certificate of Apprenticeship.
This trade has a certifying exam. When the certifying exam is passed, Skilled Trades Ontario will issue a Certificate of Qualification in this trade. Because this trade is non-compulsory, this certificate does not have to be renewed, and the information of individuals practicing this trade will not appear on the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register.
In Ontario, the trade is part of the Interprovincial Red Seal Program—the national standard for the trade across Canada- under the title Heavy Duty Equipment Technician: www.red-seal.ca.