If you’re someone who’s interested in a new career than this would more than likely be the resource for you. Today I came across The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS). They’re located in Northern California and they are exactly what they say they are, a construction training based college.
I have more than 10 certified construction workers in my family, all of them went to a cheapy kind of school that only lasted about 3 weeks. Now, when you grow up in a family full of them you naturally are going to know things that the school is going to teach you so they breezed through the course and then, from there, continued on with their own business. While it doesn’t take a lot of skill to hammer a nail in, there is quite a few safety precautions that need to be taken and learning through trial and error is just not a possibility.
Going to a school where you’re trained in everything from hammering that nail to wearing those safety glasses is extremely important if you wish to work in the construction field. There is a lot of money to be made through construction considering how over-populated the world currently is and we all need to have shelter. With shopping facilities, housing, apartments and other buildings popping up all over the place – it’s a stand up business to get yourself involved with.
Now, I’m sure you’re thinking “An Italian in Construction … right”, my family has worked on jobs all over Long Island and even had a hand in building one of the malls on the island which brought in quite a bit of money on the project. Construction isn’t limited to hammering a nail. It’s also landscaping (to some degree), laying down sidewalks and driveways, even parking lots. Anything that requires a massive machine to aid in the work is some degree of construction and all of it should be taken very seriously not only because of the expensive equipment but construction sites are unsafe to a certain degree until everything has properly been placed.
A proper training program is the best route for you to take.
Press Release
During World War II, Rough and Ready Island was a naval base and the central communications point for all of the armed services. As of 2004, the Port of Stockton took over most of the area and re-designated it as a redevelopment area. Today, Rough and Ready is also a commercial port that ships raw materials throughout the world. As of two weeks ago, now the island is adding something new to its history.
On July 16, 2007, The Northern California College of Construction (NCCC) opened its doors in Stockton, CA…on Rough and Ready Island.
The NCCC was started to fill the needs and demands of qualified and certified heavy equipment operators not only in northern California, but everywhere in the country. Jeff Dorricott, the president and director of the college, said that “Our focus here at Northern California College of Construction is to equip our students with a solid foundation to become successful as Heavy Equipment and Crane operators. We have built an educational environment specifically aimed at providing technology with hands-on learning practices. We are here because we are passionate about what we do and that is what will set our students down the path of success.”
The opening ceremonies were a success at Rough and Ready Island. The NCCC had 17 students begin training on the opening day-a 100% show-rate. Dorricott sees this as evidence for the demand of heavy equipment operators in the area.
The NCCC is one of five member schools of The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (www.nahets.com). Individually and collectively, these schools serve a demographic that is very significant and essential to the heavy equipment and construction industries, as well as the society-at-large.
President of NAHETS, Matt Klabacka, believes that this demographic includes “Post-secondary students [that] can be defined in five separate categories: the traditional college-bound student, the semi-traditional college-bound student, the non-traditional college-bound student, the non college-bound student, and the high school dropout.” Klabacka feels that the current educational community is not meeting the needs of these people. He further stated that “the training of welders, truck drivers, crane operators, and equipment operators have been lacking in recent years, leading to a shortage of well-trained professionals.”
The Northern California College of Construction aims to serve the needs of these students by supplying industries with a qualified, motivated, and skilled entry-level equipment operator. The means to accomplish these goals hinge on curriculum and standards. At the NCCC, as well as all NAHETS member schools, several learning methods combine to create a most effective education in heavy equipment operating: classroom instruction, simulation training, hands-on operating, internet tools, and more. In addition, each member school or college must meet the following credentials:
*Full time campus director or college president
* Full time on site campus job placement director
* Full time on site campus financial aid director
* Full time on site campus admissions director
* Full time on site Heavy equipment training director
* Full time Certified heavy equipment training instructors
* 20 acre minimum heavy equipment training area
* 3-4 classrooms dedicated to training heavy equipment operators
* No other business conducted at training site
* Clean administrative facilities.
With the addition of the Northern California College of Construction to the heavy equipment industry, dreams and goals will be realized for those who aspire to become accomplished heavy equipment operators; and the nation-wide demand of construction companies to employ these operators will further be satisfied.