Economic Stimulus – There Are Not Enough Heavy Equipment Operators

If you thought the economy was on the slide and that employment in areas such as heavy equipment was on also on the slide, think again. If you ever wanted a career in construction, including a career as a heavy equipment operator, then now is the time to get your training over and done with.

According to a report on the Associated Construction Publications website titled “Economic Stimulus Coming to State Highways”:

This added work will once again underscore the shortage of U.S. workers in the construction fields. There aren’t enough skilled welders, equipment operators, electricians, plumbers, and other tradespeople out there.emphasis added

Everyone has heard of the Obama Administration’s Economic Stimulus Plan but how much will this actually pump into construction. The report estimates that close to $160 billion will be allocated to construction over the next two years – that’s $80 billion per year and almost $1.5 billion per state. Now we are talking about billions, not millions, here and where this effects the employment sector, including heavy equipment operations, is that it is all being spent simultaneously.

This places a heavy demand on skilled workers. Under normal circumstances projects commence on a rolling basis and workers move from one site to the next as they complete their tasks. In the past, a bulldozer operator, for example, would clear the ground on site A then move onto size B while the next work crew started the next stage of site A. With this financial injection, sites A, B and C will all start around the same time. We now need three bulldozer operators instead of one. (And I am being conservative here, you could probably multiply that by 50 or 100 around the nation.)

That is a lot of work to be done; a lot of heavy equipment operators required; and right now, a lot of heavy equipment training required to prepare the workforce. The conditions have never been better for the recruitment of new heavy equipment operators. At least one sector of the work force can look forward to a lucrative future. Are you ready to be a part of it?