(Image Credit: Jett Schwaier/CHAT News)

By Jett Schwaier

Safety Buzz Campus

Wheels of Opportunity program officially launched with ribbon cutting

Feb 26, 2026 | 6:32 PM

The Wheels of Opportunity program officially launched on Thursday, Feb. 26, aimed at addressing labour shortages in agriculture and transportation.

The program, developed by Safety Buzz Campus, will provide Class 3 driver training, air brake endorsement and a range of agriculture safety certifications to youth and adults pursuing careers in the agriculture and agriculture-related sectors.

The program is supported by a $916,000 investment from the Alberta government through its transportation economic corridor initiative.

The two-year funding commitment will allow participants to complete training designed to prepare graduates for work in commercial driving roles tied to agriculture.

The co-owner of Safety Buzz Campus, Amy Zuk-Olsen, said the program offers both theory and hands-on learning.

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“It certainly makes life a lot easier when you’ve got some hands-on practice,” Zuk-Olsen said.

“People can come do a couple days of Class 3, another day they come back and do their air brakes, and then we offer most of the courses that are going to be aligned, such as first aid, telehandler, [and] skid steer,” she added.

“We’re able to have a fairly good intake of people while we’re doing the program.”

Zuk-Olsen said the courses offer a wide range of opportunities for students.

“Anything from operating a grain truck, silage truck, cement pumper units, water trucks, there’s just so many different things that people can utilize in a farm or ag-related type industry,” Zuk-Olsen said.

“We are going to be looking into simulation training, so people will get to go into a driving simulator,” she added.

“We can take people 17 years old into our program; they’re going to get some driving experience without being on the road.”

Prairie Rose Public Schools Superintendent, Reagan Weeks, said several Grade 12 students from Eagle Butte High School and Foremost School are already participating, with additional interest expressed across the division.

“We know that we have a lot of students who have a very strong interest in hands-on opportunities within the trades,” Weeks said.

“Not only will students living near Dunmore be able to access this opportunity, students attending any of the high schools within Prairie Rose will be eligible, and so we’re really excited about that,” she added.

“We want [students] to come out of high school with employability and the chance to take on some of those roles that we need filled in our own community.”

The mayor of Cypress County, Dan Hamilton, said it’s important for the agriculture sector to have skilled drivers and delivering training locally benefits both workers and employers across southeastern Alberta.

Training will be delivered on-site and in surrounding rural communities, with the potential for expansion depending on future funding approvals.

The event concluded with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the program’s formal launch.