Tom Yost School for Operators was launched as a goal to train skilled operators to enter the work force and meet an ever increasing demand.

As an Employer, I found it most difficult to locate individuals with sufficient skills and training to meet the requirements to be successful operators.

This was the foundation for developing the School and the Heavy Equipment Operators Course.

Tom started his career as an equipment operator in Port Coquitlam when he was 17 years old and bought his first piece of equipment, a JD 300 backhoe at the age of 19.

By time he was 25 years old he was the president of Y.S.M. Contracting Ltd. and he owned 5 pieces of equipment. This company majored in underground utilities which included sewer, water, street lighting, curb and gutter and sidewalks. The company would be hired to develope raw land to building sites and dig and backfill basements and landscape.

Tom continued operating in this location until 1979 when he sold his company and relocated to Kimberley. From 1979-1988 he owned and operated under Tom Yost Construction Ltd and did mainly residential work.

At this time the house building industry was in a slump so Tom changed direction and worked with his company in the forestry industry. He owned 9 excavators and his work consisted of road building, installing culverts, putting in forestry bridges, pushover logging, trail building, reclaimation and scarifying.

From 2003-2004 Tom was involved in earth excavation on numerous golf courses and worked in residential as well as commercial industries. By 2004 it was getting harder and harder to find skilled operators to run excavators and backhoes and Tom decided to focus his attention towards training operators.