As we move closer to the annual conference for the TTSAO (Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario) the search for the Instructor of the Year continues and we patiently await who will be the next instructor to win the famous standing. There have been two instructors before that have won the award and both are highly respected veterans of the industry. Joe Teixeira won the award in 2019 with an amazing record of being a long term employee with Rosedale Transport in Mississauga. We talked with Joe about being a good trainer in the video below.
Doug Degrow won the award in 2020 with an equally impressive record working for KRTS (Kim Richardson Transportation Specialists Inc) for many years. Doug is well respected in the industry and has been in the industry for decades.
We now wait to see who will be the 2021 Instructor of the Year. This person will have big shoes to fill and will need to have a stellar record. So how does this help you as a school? Sure the instructor wins a trophy and possibly another prize to go with it. That instructor gets bragging rights for the win and will have something to talk about for a long time, but how does that help your school?
If you are lucky enough to have the Instructor of the Year working at your school then it can be the best marketing plan you have ever created. You will get three things out of having one of your instructors win the honourable award.
Credibility
Your school will get automatic attention as a school with quality courses and instruction. If you employ the instructor of the year you can use that to build momentum in promoting your school as the winning instructor will be asked for interviews and more. If you plan on promoting that person now would be the time.
Marketability
It’s time to tote that award around the circuit. Use that instructor to help promote your school and the team behind the scenes. You will want to take that instructor to as many events as possible to show them off and even create a marketing campaign around them. You have twelve months from winning the award until another individual is chosen. Use that time to show off the team you have employed at the school.
Training System
Depending on how you have your training system set up at the school this could be a great time to refresh your training program and train other instructors. Who better to learn from than the Instructor of the Year to help bring future instructors on board. This should now be a head instructor and a way to improve your whole team and the training programs behind them.
As you can see having the Instructor of the Year under your employ can be beneficial for both you and the instructor. The award is a prestigious award in the industry and should be something that all instructors strive for and try to earn. When you can honestly say that you have award winning instructors on your team then you are have some power above your competition. If you are wondering how you submit your instructor to be judged for the award you can fill out the form below and send it in with any supporting documents to have them considered. Good luck and we hope to see your instructor on stage at the conference.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a veteran in the transportation industry with over 40 years in the industry in a variety of roles from driver to fleet supervisor and more. Today he is a media specialist in the industry producing a number of programs for the trucking industry such as his trucking podcast The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com or his radio station Lead Pedal Radio at www.leadpedalradio.com
Disclaimer: This article is written and based on the opinion of the author and is for general information only