Is There a Demand for Heavy Equipment Operators?
Before you decide to embark on the journey of joining the ranks of heavy equipment operators, you definitely want to know: will your newfound skills help you get a job? After all, even if many of us have dreamed about operating cranes, backhoes, and bulldozers ever since we were young, people don’t decide to become heavy equipment operators just for the fun of it. You want to know that your new profession will come with job security and let you pay your bills.
The good news is that the answer to this question is an unmitigated, unambiguous “yes.” Construction equipment operator is a job that is in high demand now and a field that will likely see significant growth over the next decade.
In this article, we’ll look at what’s driving this demand for heavy equipment operators and what you can do to maximize your odds at landing your dream job operating construction machinery.
Why Is There a Demand for Heavy Equipment Operators?
Bounce Back After Pandemic
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, jobs for construction equipment operators are expected to increase over the next decade by about 12 percent. But why is this? Construction wasn’t hit as hard by the pandemic as some sectors were, but there was a slowdown in 2020. New home construction was down about 2 percent this winter from what it had been a year before.
However, slowdowns almost always mean that things will pick up in the future, especially since the current slowdown was caused by a pandemic. With the vaccine going into more American arms every day, it’s likely that construction that was put on hold during the pandemic will bounce back afterward.
Infrastructure Construction
Another potentially major source of new construction jobs is in the infrastructure field. At time of writing, the US government is debating on what to include in a massive new infrastructure bill. While we do not yet know what size the bill will be or what it will include, even the “lowball” estimate will still pump hundreds of billions of dollars into new infrastructure construction. There will definitely be demand for experienced, trained heavy equipment operators to help overhaul bridges, fix highways, and install new pipes.
Climate Change
In addition to the bounce back after the pandemic and new infrastructure spending, one additional driver of growth in the construction field is climate change. Buildings that are more “green” are becoming ever more popular, and older buildings that don’t quite meet modern designs for things like insulation are often overhauled or replaced. Because of this, the industry will need experienced heavy equipment operators to meet the demand for new green-friendly construction.
If you want to get a job as a heavy equipment operator in the next decade, it’s important to be properly trained and have all your professional certifications. Heavy equipment operators who are trained in different types of equipment will be more valuable, so to ensure that you’ll be able to take advantage of future construction booms, you will need top-notch training and education. Consider training with West Coast Training today.