One of the best places to start when researching heavy equipment operator training schools is the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools, a voluntary association of schools committed to helping you start or advance your career in this industry. NAHETS.com offers more information about the different training programs and the schools that offer them.
Unlike traditional educational institutions, heavy equipment operator training programs are not built around lectures. Although reading goes along with the program, hands-on experience and activity shows you how your course material applies to the real world. The NAHETS website shows that these schools also have state-of-the-art training tools that include machine simulators, video iPods with animated instructions, and Internet-based learning. These tools are designed to help you learn more quickly and efficiently than lecturing alone.
As a student in heavy equipment operator training, you'll work on real projects in the field and be subject to constant evaluation; while this may prove difficult in the beginning, it can be your ultimate asset when negotiating salaries with future employers. Often, recent college graduates fail to nab their dream jobs not because they lack education, but because they lack the necessary experience. This is not a problem here because these training programs combine education and experience to give you a running start in the job market upon graduation.
Generally, three levels of training make up heavy equipment operator training programs. Level one provides basic, introductory information on the industry and is a prerequisite for advancing to additional levels.
Level two builds upon the material of level one, introducing more equipment training on bulldozers, forklifts, rollers and scrapers. You also will acquire skills such as grade reading, laser level use, heavy equipment maintenance and safety procedures such as CPR and first aid.
Level three includes information from levels one and two and involves you in real-world project planning. You also will learn about hydraulic excavators and motor graders.
As a graduate of this training program, you are eligible for job placement assistance, connecting you with potential employers who may recruit graduates from your school. Your school may offer an online job bank, in which you may be able to find potential employers and jobs in your area.
Many schools also offer a job placement coordinator, which whom you may conduct an entrance interview to determine your job placement requests. The job coordinator pulls his resources together to identify job openings in the geographical areas where you'd like to work.
Heavy equipment operator training is very direct and simple. It's designed to give you a head start when you venture out into the job placement world. Reading materials along with real-life hands-on application of textbook principles work together to ensure success in the field.