Diploma in Heavy Duty Equipment Repair

Heavy Duty Equipment Repair is a two-year diploma program covering fundamental shop skills, tires and rims, track and undercarriage systems, braking systems, hydraulics, welding, powertrains, engines and electrical and electronic systems used in off-highway and heavy equipment. Students learn to work on machinery such as graders, loaders, shovels, tractors, trucks, agricultural equipment, bulldozers, earth movers, mining trucks, cranes, forklifts and drills used in construction, mining, forestry and other industries, using specialized tools including test meters, hoists, welding equipment and computer diagnostic equipment. A mandatory field experience placement, typically about five weeks and unpaid, provides workplace exposure, and a co-op work term of at least 12 weeks (420 hours) is available between the first and second year. The program requires a minimum 90% course attendance to graduate and includes safety awareness training given the physically demanding, industrial nature of the work. Graduates who register as apprentices with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency may receive credit toward certification as a Heavy Duty Equipment Technician or Agricultural Equipment Technician. International graduates are eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit.