A new driving school is opening in the Fort Frances area.
Seven Generation Education Institute has teamed with DriveWise to offer the program at its Fort Frances campus.
The first class will begin tomorrow with eight students.
The School’s Employment Navigator, Lauren Nelson, says it’s something they had long wanted to do.
“We found that not having a driver’s license has been a huge barrier for employment. We reached out to DriveWise years ago. We were hoping to get it started last spring, but with COVID-19, we are just (getting) the ball rolling now,” says Nelson.
The course is designed to help students get their G2 driver’s licence.
Nelson says there are three components.
“There are 20 hours of classroom training that includes the simulator. There are 10 hours of online training that you do at home, and then there are 10 hours of behind-the-wheel training that you do one-on-one with an instructor,” says Nelson.
Each of Seven Gens campuses is equipped with a designated driver’s training classroom, student driver vehicle, and a driving simulator.
Nelson says they are the only school west of Thunder Bay with the technology.
“It allows students to experience a collision, a tire blowout or inclement weather without having to be behind the wheel of an actual vehicle.”
There are plans to include training for other licencing, such as those required to drive transport, an ambulance or snowplow.
Nelson says they plan to expand the program to their Kenora campus in April and Sioux Lookout sometime later in the year.
