June 2009

Becoming a skilled heavy equipment operator can take years of on-the-job training. So how can someone with no experience get started? One way is to work as a skid steer (Bobcat) or fork lift operator. These are small machines that can give you some basic skills in heavy equipment operation. Jobs are usually in areas such as landscaping or warehousing. Keyano College (www.keyano.ca) offers one-day skid steer and fork lift certification, although some eomployes will provide the certification in-house. Entry-level jobs in road construction, operating a compactor or roller, can also help you gain valuable experience.

Even with skid steer, fork lift, compactor or roller experience, much more training is needed to operate larger pieces of heavy equipment. One way to get that training is to go to school and take a heavy equipment operator course. Keyano offers different courses - see page 6 for details.

And probably the most common way to get started in this field is as a labourer. "Become a labourer and work your way up. Get someone to show you how to operate the machines until you get the hang of it," says Niki Taylor, with E Construction in Fort McMurray.

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