You’ll Learn More Than You’d Think at Heavy Equipment Vocational School
Heavy equipment vocational schools like West Coast Training provide a well-rounded education that covers all aspects of the job. This includes extensive, hands-on experience supervised by qualified instructors.
You’ll also learn an expansive set of skills, both inside a classroom and on-site, including some skills you may not have associated with heavy equipment operation, but will consistently use on different projects. And you’ll find that the school’s class structure and size produces an optimal learning environment. And, once you’ve completed your education, you’ll find more career opportunities since you’ll be certified to safely and effectively work in your chosen field.
Here’s just some of what you can expect from West Coast Training:
Multiple Training Courses
Many may not be aware that heavy equipment vocational schools can offer more than one training course. In addition to the 8-week heavy equipment operator course, West Coast Training also offers 4-week mobile crane operator and 8-week crane operator/rigger courses, as well as seminars and exam services.
Academic Knowledge Coupled with Practical, Hands-On Experience
When attending heavy equipment vocational school, you’ll learn both inside a classroom and through on-site, hands-on training, and be taught and supervised by NCCER certified instructors. Both environments are given approximately equal time, which is beneficial because the skills you’ll learn in each will serve you well throughout your career.
In the classroom, topics covered include basic civil engineering, mathematics, project layout, and basic surveying. Basic surveying will be used in multiple projects.
Spending the other half of the time out on the field really helps you to prepare for what the everyday work. Heavy equipment vocational schools have training fields that mirror working conditions. On Fridays, students are out in the field the entire day to apply everything from the training throughout the week toward assigned tasks. Actually putting what you’ve learned into practice is essential to retain the material.
Range of Equipment
Another advantage of heavy equipment vocational school is that you’ll gain extensive experience with all the different equipment you’ll come across in the field. At West Coast Training, the equipment could include backhoes, dozers, graders, excavators, and more. You’ll learn about each piece of equipment both in the classroom and on-site to really understand them as thoroughly as possible. Gaining expertise in a wide range of equipment will be an advantage that is impressive to employers and will continue to be an asset throughout your career.
Emphasis on Safety
Heavy equipment operation can be a dangerous occupation. Learning about safety is extremely important and should never just be glossed over. When you’re out on a job you’ll want to do whatever you can to prevent accidents.
The instructors at a heavy equipment vocational school will instill the proper safety precautions and procedures throughout the training. This means teaching workplace safety in the classroom, as well as practicing safe operating techniques and preventative maintenance in the field. In general, the extensive on-site training helps with safety because the more hands-on experience you have, the less likely you will be to make mistakes.
Learn More Effectively in Smaller Class Sizes
In some learning environments, the classes are quite large with only a few instructors. In those circumstances, it is easy for individual students to be overlooked or left behind. Fortunately, our heavy equipment vocational school consists of smaller classes. The low student to instructor ratio ensures that each student gets the right amount of attention.
And instead of everyone fighting to get a fair turn, as can happen in a large class, it means that every student will get sufficient time with each piece of equipment. By practicing as much as each person needs to, students will really learn to operate the equipment safely and effectively.
Being in a smaller class where you can actually get to know one another will also improve your teamwork and collaboration skills, which will serve you well during your career.
Related Tasks
There are other aspects of heavy equipment operation that many people may not even think about but are important to learn, and you can be sure that these will be covered in heavy equipment vocational school.
These include construction-related duties including site preparation, which involves excavating, demolition, land clearing, and more to rid the area of any obstructions; flagging, or controlling traffic; grade checking, which is the measurement and setting of grade stakes as part of the process that provides a level base or specified slope; and operator preventative maintenance, which ensures safety. Being well versed in these tasks will allow every construction project to run as smoothly as possible.
NCCER/NCCCO Training and Certification
West Coast Training is an Accredited Training Unit of the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), so students will receive the proper training and testing to be NCCER certified. Instructors will follow the NCCER curriculum, which was developed for the most quality training.
If you decide to take the crane operator courses, you’ll see that West Coast Training is also a National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) testing facility. You’ll be trained according to the NCCCO guidelines and be well prepared for the written and practical examinations to receive NCCCO certifications. You’ll even take the practical exam on the same equipment you trained on.
These credentials are nationally recognized, so your education will ensure you can be hired anywhere in the country and abroad. And you can trust that future employers will be very impressed by these certifications.
Employment Skills
Part of beginning a successful career as a heavy equipment operator requires getting hired in the first place. That is why our vocational school also goes above and beyond to offer employment services that will give students the advice and skills to land their first job.
The services include practicing interview skills, resume building, and advice for approaching the job search. You’ll end up with a polished, updated resume that will make a great impression. And because the employment services staff understands that looking through job listings can be overwhelming and exhausting, this can also include a personalized plan for job hunting. This is a lifetime service for graduates, so it’s available whenever you ever need to brush up on these skills.
The extensive training received from heavy equipment vocational school will ensure confidence when you are out on any job, which is incredibly essential.
If this sounds like a step you’re ready to take, you can find more information on West Coast Training, including graduate testimonials on our website, https://heavyequipmenttraining.com. Contact us to begin the application process and keep in mind that financial assistance is available, as well as added benefits for veterans. We also have housing options for prospective students who live outside the area and can provide daily transportation, so there’s nothing to stop you now.