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By rdnewsNOW Staff

PROVINCE SHORT 4,000 DRIVERS

Alberta accelerates Class 1 driver’s training for qualified Ukrainian evacuees

Aug 15, 2024 | 1:26 PM

In an effort to strengthen supply chains, Alberta’s government is allowing qualified Ukrainian evacuees to take accelerated training to obtain their Alberta Class 1 driver’s licence.

Government officials say Alberta currently has a shortage of about 4,000 commercial truck drivers, which has been a factor in ongoing supply chain issues over the past few years. This shortage can not only hinder business operations and growth but also inflate costs for consumers and industries alike.

In response, the government has amended the eligibility criteria in the Class 1 Experience and Equivalency Program to allow Ukraine evacuees who hold or have held category CE licences to reduce the time and cost to obtain their Alberta Class 1 driver’s licences.

“Allowing Ukrainian evacuees with truck driving experience to enter the commercial driving industry is a win-win. It will help alleviate the ongoing driver shortage and support evacuees from Ukraine who have had so much to deal with over the past two and a half years,” says Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors.

Transportation and Economic Corridors will also expand the Driving Back to Work (DBTW) grant criteria to include Ukraine evacuees. As part of the implementation of the new learning pathway in 2025-26, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors will monitor driver competency to inform possible expansion of Class 1 driver licence recognition to other foreign countries to further reduce the truck driver shortage in Alberta.

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Government officials note that Ukrainian driver licensing standards meet or exceed Alberta’s standards in most cases, particularly in driver training requirements.

“Alberta’s government is committed to supporting evacuees fleeing the war in Ukraine, and helping them resettle in our province while maintaining safety on Alberta roads,” says Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, parliamentary secretary for settlement services and Ukrainian evacuees. “By enabling qualified Ukrainian evacuees to obtain their Alberta Class 1 driver’s licences, we are providing them with valuable employment opportunities while also strengthening our supply chains.”

Ukrainian drivers with five or more years of equivalent experience within the last 10 years are eligible for a waiver from the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program. Ukrainian drivers with between two and five years of driving experience will need to take the Class 1 Experience and Equivalency Program, which includes 40 hours of training.

Regardless of which path is taken, qualified candidates will still be required to successfully complete a Class 1 driver’s knowledge and road test, to have their vision screened, to submit a driver’s medical assessment and to complete air brake training.

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