I was wondering if anyone here from ontario has got Employment insurance to pay for there truck training? They are making me take some 5 day work start program. My worker doesnt think I really want to be a trucker but I do, So shes making me take this 5 day work start program to find out what career path I should really be doing.

Apparently when you do this work start program, then they will decide if they will fund you or not. Has anyone done this program? haha is there any way to rig the answers so it says you want to be a trucker?

If i can convince them I want to be a trucker, then they will go ahead and fund for my schooling.

Not from Canada so never heard of it but is this some kind of re training thing ? I.E. the company you worked for closed down and there are no other like jobs around so the province will re train you for something else ?

Well I got laid off from my job, So now im on employment insurance.

E.I will pay for you to take technical training. First you have to make an appt with a councelor, you pretty much have to convince her that trucking is a career you want to do. Basically because of my past jobs and schooling , she is not convinced that I actually want to be a driver, but I have been reading all the boards different sites explaining the jobs, I have even been on a few truck trips with a friend of the family. And it looks like a really cool job. I told her that, but for some reason she wants me to take the "Work Start" program, its a 5 day program where you sit on a computer I am told and answer questions and then it gives you a list of careers that match your results.

My question is to the people that have HAD to take this program (work start) in order to get funded by the goverment. I havent seen the tests they give you, but is there a way to rig the answers so the results end up being truck driver?

i don;t know much about EI, but trucking might not be as good as you think.

If you want to truck local, it will always be 12-14 hours a day 5 days a week, most wknds off normally.

and OTR really sucks usually, most companies refuse to even try to get drivers home every weekend and will make you stay out 7-10 days then home 2-3, think you can handle that?

I know i can;t, i refuse to work weekends, and luckily i have found a small OTR company which gets me home every single wknd, but that is very rare for a new driver!

the 14 hour days gets old fast, and i am seriously thinking of getting out of trucking, i have been doing it for 5 years and have had just about enough of this F 'ed up industry.

I think if EI will pay for your training, you should do a trade, like electricain or welder or millright, those job are always needed workers and pay really good and don;t make you work insane hours or wknds!

good advice....

They're probably doing that because so many people get a license through UI and never use it or quit trucking within 6 months.

I wish government would get out of the business of paying for training. It does lead to abuse on both sides of the border. Companies used to bear the burden of paying for their employee's training. Potential employees use it to keep the government checks coming in. If the government plans to continue paying for this type of training, then the employee should be held accountable for his own training. He should be required to work in an industry where he has received free government training for a specific time period. He should not necessarily need to commit to the same carrier, but he should be required to repay the costs for his training to the government if he accepts money from them, or should I say us!? There are a lot of people who seek and are given free training to work. Some are not given an option. They must either retrain or lose their government checks. Now, there are some who have accepted the training and made something out of themselves. Others just take what they can and keep collecting their checks. When the government pays for training it also encourages companies to have higher turnover. There are programs where the government will pay 1/2 or more of the employee's training. This basically gives the company an employee for no cash outlay. It enables the employee to learn a trade that he may abandon in a few months. If the subsidies are not there, companies will be more selective in their employee selections and those who apply are going to be more serious and committed. It is a win, win situation. It is also a win for the taxpayers. We would no longer be required to fund a black hole.

i went to trucking school while collecting UI.
the conditions were.
1. your feild had to be dead or suffered mass closure. ( i worked for a Gov office that moved to Ft worth, TX and i couldnt find a related job
2 my new training had to be in demand( trucking, of course).
3 the training had to be complete in 1 year or less( school was 41/2 months)
4 EDD had to approve the school.

i had the chioce of paing for the school myself, getting a load or grant or finding a free program.
i found a county sponsered truckdriving school which was free.
EDD aproved it, i collected my UI check every to weeks and i got my lisence, then a job.
THANKS CALIFORNIA!!

i had never collected unemployment before. i was suprised how easy it was to get retrained while still being able to pay my mortgage and bills and eat.