High school students enrolled in Mechanics and Automotive courses through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre got a chance to shut their laptops and get their hands dirty at a one-day hands-on learning camp in Saskatoon. 

The camp was developed through a partnership between Sask. DLC and Saskatchewan Polytechnic which allowed 16 high school students to shadow an experienced student enrolled in the automotive service technician program at Sask. Polytechnic. 

Sean Dufour is the Trades Program Coordinator for Sask DLC. He says students rotated through five stations, each one giving them a hands-on glimpse into day in the industry.  

Grade 10 student Ella Timmerman was one of the 16 attendees completing engine removals, tire rotations, and bearing inspections. She admits that she was contemplating a career in medicine until she enrolled in one of six mechanical and automotive courses through Sask. DLC. 

“Now that I’ve got the opportunity and had more experience doing this, it really has opened up more doors for me, and it feels like I have so many more opportunities to choose from when I’m older, and not just what I thought I was good at.” 

Grade 11 student Teagen Huebner spent the day learning how to remove engines, radiators, alternators and coolant lines. 

“I’m a very, very hands-on person. I love getting in there, getting greasy, wrenching on stuff, doing all of that.” 

He hopes to enroll at Sask Polytechnic following his graduation next year. 

Throughout the school year, these students have also been completing between 50 and 75 hours of online theory and 25-50 hours on hands-on work placement at auto dealership near or in their home community. 

Dufour says most of the auto dealerships that they partner with for work placement opportunities say there is a high demand for new service technicians in the industry, and programs like this are working to repopulate that pool.