Equipment Ontario has donated a fully built and functional tractor diesel engine to the students at Listowel District Secondary School.
Bryan Long, Service Manager at Equipment Ontario in Listowel, says the engine that is being donated to LDSS is from a combine, and will give shop students a unique opportunity.
"So it's a complete 7.5 litre engine with turbo and coolers and everything. It's never been apart before, so it'll be a really great project for the kids to tear it apart and see how everything works and to have it be complete, you know a lot of times they might get an engine that might be only partial. But this is a complete engine and it's brand new so they can see what it looks like inside," Long shared.
Long was in attendance yesterday at the AgScape agricultural education seminar at LDSS, held on October 9, and adds that it's important to inspire the next generation of agricultural equipment technicians.
He says there are many skilled trades careers and co-ops available through Skilled Trades Ontario, and you don't have to have grown up on a farm to pursue a career in agriculture.
"Obviously kids that work on a farm might be interested in what we do, but we really wanna push that you don't have to grow up on a farm to be successful in our trade. If you're hardworking and smart, then we can teach you the rest, we can teach you the electronics and the hydraulics and things like that. So, you don't have to have grown up on a farm," Long stressed.
If anyone ever had any questions on pursuing a career in agricultural equipment, Long says he'd be happy to steer them in the right direction.
"We like to find good people and turn them into great technicians. So we'll take a co-op student at 16 or 17-years-old, and train them in the co-op program and hire them on as an apprentice, and after 3-5 years they'll be licensed and have a great career in agriculture," said Long.
More information on co-op programs and apprenticeships can be found on the Skilled Trades Ontario website here: https://www.skilledtradesontario.ca/.