Women Shifting Gears Program

Women Shifting Gears is an exciting program designed to empower women and develop their skills to enter the transportation industry.

The YWCA partners with professionals in the trucking industry, the Saskatchewan Trucking Association and employers to provide the essential skills and the appropriate experiential education needed to enter the industry.

Phase one of this unique program includes 12 weeks of pre-employment training and instruction to support confidence building, industry knowledge, job readiness skills, safety, health and wellness, work place tours, and simulator training.  Participants will complete SGI Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) in preparation for challenging the written portion and obtaining their 1A learners license.  The program provides access to certifications and the necessary supports to successfully move to the next phase.

Phase two is a 3-week job shadow experience with a local employer to continue to learn about the industry and gain a first-hand idea of what it is like to be a truck driver.  Upon completion of the 15-week program, participants are ready to secure employment and independently work towards the final phase of their in-vehicle training to obtain their 1A driver’s license.

Participants must be unemployed or underemployed, be 18 years of age or older, possess a clean driver’s abstract (defined by industry) and pass a Drug and Alcohol test prior to program start date.

The YWCA Women Shifting Gears program would like to acknowledge the support of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, our community partners and the Government of Saskatchewan who help to make this program possible.

Applications will open December 31, 2024.