Six members of Tseshaht First Nation have embarked on a driver-training program geared towards increasing their employability.
The candidates attended their first session in the Tseshaht boardroom on Sept. 18 with trainer Ian Arklie, owner of Pacific Rim Driving School. It’s the fourth flight of trainees since the program began last year, according to Judy Rumney, Tseshaht manager of health and social development.
“The program is for Tseshaht members who are unemployed or underemployed,” Rumney said. “We looked at the barriers that are preventing people from achieving full employment and [not] driving is one of those barriers.”
The program is open to any adult in the Tseshaht social development system. To date, 24 candidates have completed the program, of whom five have now obtained their drivers’ licenses. Rumney said “a number” have their learner’s permits while “some never went to do the test, simply out of fear.”
Rumney said she hopes to put another three flights of candidates (maximum of eight per flight) through the program this fiscal year.
Under the initiative, Tseshaht supplies the trainer and the venue. Instructor Arklie, a retired RCMP officer who once ran the Port Alberni Traffic Section, will guide the candidates through the process, of which the first hurdle is the learner’s license.
“The client will pay for the test. When they are successful, they can bring it back to us and we will reimburse the $25 fee,” Rumney said. “Then they are eligible for $250-worth of road lessons from Ian.”
On Wednesday, Arklie began the session by logging into the ICBC Web site, where prospective drivers can find the learner’s permit test.
“This is preparing them for their learner’s license,” Arklie said. “We will have two or three more sessions, depending on the needs of the class.”
The test contains basic information that drivers must absorb to the point where it becomes instinctive. For instance, Arklie points out, yellow road signs are cautionary (e.g. Road Narrows) while white signs (e.g. 50 KM) are regulatory.
Each question has four potential answers. Typically, one choice is incorrect to the point of silliness,while two may be reasonably true and one is the most correct. The lesson is, think each answer through.
But it’s more than just being able to interpret road signs and follow the speed limit. Arklie runs a short video featuring six people with basketballs, four of whom are wearing white T-shirts. The challenge is to count the number of times the white T-shirt clad subjects pass the basketball.
As the six subjects mill around in a circle passing the basketballs, a man in a gorilla suits saunters through the circle.
When the video is complete, the students have variously counted six, 10 or 12 passes (the correct answer is 15). Several students admit they were so focused on the basketballs, they didn’t even notice the gorilla. And that is the lesson, Arklie said.
“Driving is a divided-attention skill,” he said. Do not focus so narrowly on one factor, “Get the big picture. Be aware of what’s happening down the road. And don’t assume that everyone sees you.”
Another area that comes in for special attention is distracted driving. A 12-minute video clip highlights the distractions posed by cell phones (even hands-free units), CD players and navigational devices. That’s not even mentioning young children and pets.
“How many times have you been in a car when the phone rings and the driver answers it?” Arklie asked. Best to pull over and park before answering that phone, he advised.
An informal poll of the six students reveals that most have some actual driving experience. Kawliga Watts said he once obtained a learner’s license but never followed through. Now he has the incentive to complete the process.
“I have my forklift ticket already, but as part of my job, I need a driver’s license,” he said.
But Watts said he realizes it means more than just being able to earn a living.
“I want my freedom. I want to be able to go where I want and do what I want, and having a driver’s license will be a big help.”
For Layla Lucas, who is currently attending North Island College through the SEEDS program, learning to drive means taking over some of the load from her mother, who spends a great deal of her time shuttling grandchildren from here to there.
“My mom gets so tired. My kids depend on her,” Lucas said. “And in order to keep up my schooling, I’ll have to be able to drive.”
Arklie’s school provides a range of driver training. While many clients take only on-road instruction, he does provide the sort of classroom education contracted by Tseshaht. Last year, he ran a similar program in Opitsat.
“Once they have their learner’s, the next step is on-road training,” he said.
Candidates must wait one full year before taking the driver’s test. Arklie explained that any candidate who has previously held a learner’s permit would be eligible to take the road test immediately, if they have held their learners for a total of one full year.
Rumney said for some candidates, the program has the side benefit of increasing computer literacy.
“The written test is done on computer – even when you take the test. The students are encouraged to do the practice tests on the computers in the [Tseshaht Multiplex] training room prior to taking the actual test. If the students would benefit from additional skills training, some of them are referred to Literacy Alberni.”
