Emily Tinney couldn’t pass up a chance to operate some heavy machinery last week.
The Grade 11 student at Peter Skene Ogden was among 12 students who participated in Heavy Metal Rocks.
“It’s not every day you get to operate some heavy machinery,” she said. “And I wanted to see if it’s a possible career that I could look into.
“It’s just, it’s fun, it’s neat and it’s like playing in a big sandbox. I like the excavators and I really like the log buncher.”
But she acknowledged there were still challenges.
“It can be challenging trying to get the feel of the machines and stuff. I mean, they’re not something you could just jump in. You need to know the safety,” she said. “You need to know the dangers, I would just say it was challenging because I went into this program with no experience… It was a challenge, getting the feel of the joysticks and stuff.”
Although it’s a male-dominated field, Tinney said she felt like women are being more welcomed into the industry.
“A lot of people will prefer a female operator just because… They’re not as hard on the machines, they’re more aware of their surroundings. It is daunting though, for sure,” she said.
Tinney recommended other students get involved in the Heavy Metal Rocks program in the future: “Totally do it. It’s a program worth doing. Getting the certifications I did get, and just getting the chance to run these machines is totally worth it.”
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