Education/training
Grad at home in diesel shopJust about the last place University of Toronto anthropology graduate Josephine Park expected to be at this point in her life is standing in a service pit under a massive Volvo VN 640 tractor trailer. Mark Toljagic |
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 [ 2005-09-21 ] |
Centennial College student Josephine Park (right) and her classmates Mandy Parkinson, Kevin Gordon and Iain Anderson all have bright futures as diesel technicians.
"But when I start up a 465-hp diesel engine, I know I'm doing the right thing," Park grins, expressing her excitement at being surrounded by heavy-duty machinery in the Volvo Truck program at Centennial College.
She has no regrets about changing her career direction 180 degrees. Having spent two years in an office job that she didn't find motivating, Park wondered if she could turn a casual interest in motorsports into a full-time career.
To find out if she had the mechanical aptitude, Park enrolled in two night-school courses in small-engine repair and autobody at Centennial. She took an immediate liking to the college and the instructors who provided a good grounding in the techniques of the trade by teaching hands-on.
"I started at zero; I didn't even know how to turn a wrench," she recalls. But by the end of the course, she was thrilled by her progress. "I found the welding torch really empowering!"
Park augmented her learning by attending the Bridgestone Racing Academy at Mosport, where she helped to assemble a Formula 2000 racer from the chassis up. She also joined a pit crew and was paid in lap times behind the wheel of a genuine racecar.
HER OWN TOOLS
At that point, Park was so committed to the idea of becoming a technician, she started buying her own tools -- no small pledge, since a professional set can add up to $10,000 or more.
Park returned to Centennial to apply to the Volvo Truck modified apprenticeship program (MAP). It appealed to her because the Volvo MAP provides lots of classroom theory -- "We're getting the science behind the mechanics" -- and she's fascinated by diesel technology.
Can a bookish anthropology graduate make the transition to diesel technician? To everyone's surprise -- no less Park herself -- she quickly became immersed in the theory, techniques and insider's perspective on the trade.
"I welcomed the challenge of working on big, complicated technology," Park says.
Centennial's Ashtonbee Campus is fully equipped to teach every aspect of the profession. It even boasts a 1,000-hp dynamometer, which is used to measure engine output at the wheels and diagnose drivetrain problems under load.
While she's not the only woman in her class, the trade is still bereft of women -- although the industry has come a long way in embracing change. Park is impressed by the work ethic, respect and professionalism taught, and demonstrated, in her classes.
"There's a real cross section of society in the Volvo program: people of all ages, all cultures. Some are straight out of high school, others come here with university degrees," Park says.
While her parents were initially apprehensive about her career shift, they fully support her today. Even her university friends think her new profession is awesome.
OPEN DOORS
Park says the trade will open all kinds of doors beyond the well-paying diesel technician job that's waiting for her at the end of the program.
"I can become a service writer or parts person. I can go into sales or eventually train other technicians," she says.
For now, Park enjoys the immediate gratification of seeing a big engine bark to life and idle smoothly after diagnosing and repairing a problem. It's empowering and humbling at the same time.
"I feel honoured to be here," she says. "It's a very honourable profession."
For more details about Centennial's modified apprenticeship programs, visit: www.centennialcollege.ca/ programs/app/map.html.
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