Image Credit: CFJC News

By Curtis Goodrum

HEAVY METAL ROCKS

Heavy Metal Rocks gives students experience and opportunities for a lifetime

Apr 11, 2025 | 4:42 PM

KAMLOOPS – Heavy Metal Rocks is an 18-year-old tradition for the Kamloops Thompson School District, providing students with opportunities to learn about operating heavy machinery. The event lasts three days and allows students to run 12 different machines, depending on their industry of interest. After the three days, students leave with connections made with a wide variety of experienced volunteers and plenty of experience.

“I think the biggest thing the students take away is just that they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to continue with heavy equipment operators or whether it’s in the forestry stream or the construction stream,” said Ron Collins, who chairs the Heavy Metal Rocks steering committee. “They’ve spent three-and-a-half days on equipment and got some certifications out of it. They’re more employable, whether it comes to summer employment or they may continue and go into a heavy equipment operators course.”

Students were able to experience all that they wanted Friday (April 11).

“(I) started off the morning [in] the big excavator up top there and I was also running the rock truck.” said Grade 12 student Kelton Blower. “That was probably one of my favorite parts so far. Just fun to hear the diesel engine go. It’s been a good time. I went up top and was running the dozer. That was pretty good, too.”

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Students struggle to find jobs without experience, and an opportunity like this does not go to waste for many of them.

“It’s amazing. You can’t get any experience at any other companies. I’ve got to reach out to about 15 companies, and they will hire you with that experience,” said Grade 12 student Jeremy Sign. “This gives every single student here the chance to gain experience.”

While they gain valuable experience, students can make connections with the many industry volunteers at the site.

“I would say the experience to get to use a bunch of machinery you don’t often really get to use, and just getting experience and learning new things and meeting new people (is the most valuable,” said Kylee Boise, another Grade 12 student.

Businesses sponsoring the event are sponsoring their future by giving experience to students who have proven skills.

“Businesses will sometimes say to us, ‘What am I going to get out of this program?’ ‘What am I going to see out of it?’ It’s not that they’re going to see something tomorrow. It might be three or four years down the road,” said Collins.

Organizers aim to expand from 32 students to 40 and attract even more sponsors, giving students the opportunity of a lifetime.