D.C Directory

Heavy Equipment Operator program

Program Host

New River Community College

Host Type

Academic programs

Program Focus

Green design & construction

Outcomes

Certificate

About the Program

The Heavy Equipment Operator program was developed to meet the growing employment demands for equipment operators. Students will learn the following: orientation to the trade, heavy equipment safety, identification of heavy equipment, basic operational techniques, utility tractors, introduction to earthmoving, interpreting civil drawings, and using simulator exercises for equipment basic controls, loading and unloading, excavating, and trenching. Students receive hands-on training using simulators, which replicates real-life operating scenarios through rotation-motion platforms and high-resolution 3-D displays for excavator and wheel loader equipment.