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6 Georgia high schools participating in pilot program that preps students for construction jobs

The program consists of three core classes that will give students over seven industry-recognized credentials.
Credit: C.W. Matthews Construction

ATLANTA — Georgia high schools are currently tackling the construction workforce shortage with a new pilot program available to students. 

The Heavy Equipment Operator (H.E.O.) Simulator Program gives students hands-on industry training to prepare for careers in horizontal construction. 

The Georgia General Assembly funded the program in partnership with C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. They established three core classes that will give students over seven industry-recognized credentials, putting them on the fast track to getting permanent jobs.

“By the time they finish this construction pathway, they'll have NCCER [National Center for Construction Education and Research] certifications from the first class: they'll have Caterpillar certifications for Excavator, for Dozer: they'll have industry partner certifications,” C.W. Matthews Director of Recruitment and Training, Jeremy Whitaker said. 

He explained that depending on the school, the program will take three semesters or three years to complete each class in the program. 

Students must take Industry Fundamentals & Occupational Safety, Intro to Heavy Equipment: Excavator and Heavy Equipment 1: Bulldozer to receive full credit for the program. 

“It is a three course pathway where they're going to get their core construction training, hand tools, power tools, blueprint rating, all of those things,” Whitaker said. “And then in the second class, they jump into the heavy equipment side where they are able to get into excavator training…where they do all of their training on this state of the art caterpillar simulator.” 

“And in the third class, it's the same formula, but now it's on with bulldozer,” he added.

Whitaker said there are 100 students in the pilot program at the moment, but as time goes on, they hope to get more funding to increase the visibility of the program  --  not only in Georgia schools but also across the country and get more students interested in trade careers. 

“We're facing workforce challenges just like everybody else, and so we understand that there are shortages of people going into the skilled trades, so we wanted to create this program to basically home grow the workforce that we need,” he explained. 

The following six Georgia high schools are currently offering the pilot: 

  • Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy
  • East Forsyth High School 
  • Empower College and Career Center 
  • Jones County College and Career Academy
  • Jordan Vocational High School
  • Toombs County High School 

There are no prerequisites students need to take the program which is why Whitaker encourages anyone interested in construction to join the program to see if it would make a good career path.

“They like working with their hands, and they don't want to be cooped up in an office. They love being outside and being able, at the end of the day, look at what they've accomplished and have that sense of accomplishment. The construction industry is exactly where they need to be,” he said. 

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