Once anyone has spent a few years without certification as an unskilled laborer they tend to think that life is as good as it gets. While many unskilled labor jobs can be enjoyable, you can make great friends, meet people and have a pleasant working environment; you will almost certainly be lacking in job security and financial stability. Certification gives you these things, but what should you be certified for? What is involved in obtaining certification? Is certification expensive? How long does it take to get certified? These are all questions that many people who are considering getting certification want to ask and rightly so.

While there are many types of certification that one might get, we are going to talk about the type of certification that we are familiar with. Heavy equipment certification, truck driving certification and carpentry certification are all offered by us here at Associated Training Services. If you are already in construction or a related industry, you might have wondered how the heavy equipment operators got to where they are. There are essentially two ways that you can go about obtaining your heavy equipment certification, one you can hope that someone up top in your company will see your potential and train you. That is unlikely but for some heavy equipment operators it did happen. The alternative is to take matters into your own hands and get certification at one of our schools. Whether you are interested in heavy equipment, truck driving or carpentry, the process is much the same.

The length of time that it takes to obtain your certification will depend on your schedule. It is a relatively quick process that can be done over a short period of time if you train full time. It takes a little longer to get certification on a part time schedule, but then training is set up so that you can work and train at the same time. If you are interested in finding how long it will take for a particular type of certification, please feel free to contact us at Associated Training Services and ask about the specific course that you are interested in.

Certification is not cheap, especially if you are training in heavy equipment. We realize that it is tough for some people to afford and in order to help them with this we offer financial aid to qualified candidates. There is no way around it, working in machines that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars is always going to add up. Still our prices our affordable when you take a look at what is involved, the professionalism of our instructors and the extra earning potential that you will have once you have obtained certification.

If you are not certified, don’t put it off any longer. Certification has changed many lives for the better and it can do the same for you.

Why does driving dump trucks make such a good career choice? Why would you choose to drive dump trucks as opposed to say, semi-trailers? These are two questions that we are going to be looking at in today’s article. We think that dump trucks make a great career option and for some people, represent a better path than other forms of truck driving.

Driving dump trucks typically leaves you closer to home and gives you more regular hours than regular truck driving. If you ask many truck drivers what they would change about their job, the answer would be the hours. Don’t get me wrong, some people are cut out for truck driving, but it can take its toll if you are not prepared for long shifts behind the wheel and extended periods of time away from home. If you want to drive, but you don’t want to be away from home and don’t want to travel too far, then dump trucks make an excellent alternative.

Driving dump trucks is a less solitary existence. If you are a long haul trucker, you get used to being alone for long periods of time. Some people love it, others find it quite stressful. Driving dump trucks gives you a nice mix. You get time by yourself and you get to mingle with your co-workers when you get to the site that you are taking your load to. It is a more communicative existence, drivers of dump trucks need to be good with people.

There are plenty of great jobs for drivers of dump trucks as you can find them in all kinds of different industries. This means that if you ever want to, you can find a change of scenery. You will find dump trucks in mining, agriculture, landscaping, construction, forestry and many other industry sectors. If you want to be able to move around and have a career that you can take with you wherever you go, driving dump trucks is a great choice.

If you are interested in driving dump trucks and would like to learn more about how to obtain your certification, please feel free to contact us at Associated Training Services.

When you have been in this business a while you get to meet all kinds of interesting people looking for heavy equipment certification. Some of them come from very different walks of life, but their reasons for wanting heavy equipment certification tend to run along similar themes. I decided to put together a top ten list of things that certification can change for you. This list is by no means all inclusive and some people will order it differently, but here it is nonetheless.

Top 10 Reasons for Getting Certification

1. Make more money – This is not about being greedy, it is about making a living. The wages you earn with heavy equipment certification are much higher than you earn as an unskilled laborer.

2. Stable employment – Anyone who has worked as an unskilled laborer knows that such jobs are temporary, no matter how good at a job you are and no matter how hard you work.

3. Working conditions – Certification will give you work that has better working conditions.

4. Sustainability – When you are twenty-five, heavy labor can be a lot of fun. Try doing the same work at thirty-five, then try doing it at fifty. Some people can manage working like that without certification, but it takes its toll. With certification you are doing a job that you can keep doing at just about any age.

5. Career opportunities – Certification will give you career opportunities that do not otherwise exist. Imagine, having an actual career, where you know that the job that you have today is the same job that you will have in six months.

6. Long-term prospects – With the security that you get from a career and from stable employment, you can start planning ahead and doing things. Wouldn’t it be great to get a home loan?

7. Employment opportunities – Sometimes we want a change. Heavy equipment operators are in demand and you can get work all over the country.
8. A change of lifestyle – Your certification will allow you to break into types of work that you might not have considered in the past. How about changing the pace and scenery and going into mining, doing landscaping, forestry or any other of a number of different jobs that you can do with your heavy equipment certification.

9. Something new – For many people getting their heavy equipment certification is a chance to do something new. They might not have even been in construction or any other related industries before. Heavy equipment is great because the certification is relatively easy to get and does not take a long time. After a short training process, you will be ready to begin your new career.

10. Job satisfaction – Your heavy equipment certification will have you doing jobs that are more interesting than merely providing labor.

If you are interested in obtaining your heavy equipment certification, please do not hesitate to contact us at Associated Training Services.

Our instructors here at Associated Training Services are well aware of what life is like for people without certification. They have lived and worked in the real world as heavy equipment operators. They have worked at various worksites around the country as they perfected the skills that they now teach to our students.

Life with certification is dramatically different. Workers without certification are expendable. It is a sad fact that people that do so much of the work for the construction industry have such a difficult lot. Construction companies cannot afford to keep a permanent unskilled labor force, so when there are lulls between projects, workers are often let go. For workers without certification, day to day existence is precarious to say the least. People do it and some people make a very good living at it, but for the majority, it is not a lot of fun.

Getting your heavy equipment certification can change all of that and it can change your working conditions too. The skilled workforce is a fraction of the size of the unskilled workforce. You will find it much easier to find jobs as there is less competition. Certification proves that you have the competence to handle machines and tasks that unskilled workers cannot. This makes your position in a company stronger, allows you to draw higher wages and puts you in a lighter job. Operating heavy equipment can be hard work, make no mistake about it, but it is a lot easier than doing that same work without the equipment. It is work that most people are able to do for the full length of their career.

If you are interested in obtaining heavy equipment certification, contact us at Associated Training Services. We pride ourselves in helping regular people find their way into extraordinary careers.

Can the weather affect your heavy equipment earning potential?

When people head into heavy equipment careers, they sometimes fail to recognize the impact that the weather can make on their ability to work. If you are earning an hourly wage, as opposed to a fixed salary, then you do need to be aware that inclement weather can reduce your earning potential. Not all heavy equipment operations are affected by weather, but some are, and for some people it can really bite into their budget. One way to deal with this is to obtain certification for machinery that is not affected by the weather.

Be Prepared!

It is worth pointing out that not all bad weather is bad enough to stop work. If there is heavy rain, an electrical storm or deep snow, however, work can grind to a halt. For some people, this is a welcome break, for others it represents a loss of income. If you experience a lot of downtime in your region due to weather, you might want to consider working towards extra certification. Some heavy equipment will be operated throughout the year in rain or snow. Indeed, graders and bulldozers are sometimes used to clear snow, so you might find your services in even greater demand in bad weather.

Different climates, different considerations…

Depending on where you live, weather might have minimal effect on your workload. If, however, weather is a significant factor in your workload, it would pay to consider extending your skill base. Contact us at Associated Training Services if you are interested in learning about heavy equipment careers that will allow you to operate in almost any weather condition.

Life without certification is an uphill battle. You might find yourself going from job to job with no stability, no security and very limited earning potential. Without money, life can be very difficult. Raising a family, buying a house, enjoying the lifestyle that comes from a steady wage, these are all things that are out of reach to many of the unskilled laborers in this country. Many people do not realize how easy it can be to get certification and the difference that it can make in ones life.

If you are involved in construction, why not start taking steps towards getting some heavy equipment or carpentry certification. At Associated Training Services we provide courses around the country that suit many people’s busy work schedules. You can choose to study full time in one of our intensive courses or complete your training part time between work hours. It is all about providing our students with the flexibility that they need in order to under take our training.

Once you are certified, we can assist you by offering job placement. A large number of companies throughout the country assist us by offering our graduates job placement. They realize that certification from Associated Training Services indicates that a student has undergone professional training and is ready to enter the work place. If you have any questions regarding our certification, which is nationally accredited, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you have ever worked on a building site, you will be well aware that there is a vast disparity in the working conditions of skilled and unskilled workers. Many unskilled workers fall into the trap of thinking that certification is beyond their reach. This is understandable considering the time and cost that is required in most types of training. An apprenticeship can take several years and many people cannot sacrifice that amount of time on apprentice wages. The alternative is attending a training school.

At Associated Training Services we offer a range of courses in part time and full time schedules. Our goal is to get you certified and ready for the workplace in a timely fashion. Our courses are nationally accredited and our job placement program helps our graduates find skilled work. Our certification program will prepare you to work as a heavy equipment operator. If you are interested in starting a heavy equipment career and getting your certification please do not hesitate to contact us.

We know all to well what life is like for construction workers that lack certification. While some people enjoy the work, it does not pay very well. Many people lack the motivation to pursue certification. They place it in the too hard, too expensive or takes too long basket and do their best to be content with the limited opportunities that are available to the unskilled laborer. The fact is that it is not too hard or too expensive to get certification and it does not take too long either.

Associated Training Services
Associated Training Services is a heavy equipment school with offices around the country. We place our workers in a simulated working environment so that they can experience work in an environment as close to the real thing as possible. We offer training in a wide range of equipment types. Our professional instructors will get you ready for a different career and prove to you that it is not too difficult to earn your certification.

Financial Aid
We know that there are many people that can not afford the training on their unskilled laborer’s wages. For this reason, we offer financial aid in most circumstances. Our rates are affordable and you will be able to repay your loan quickly thanks to the greater income you will be able to earn through certification. With financial aid from Associated Training Services, training ceases to be too expensive.

Intensive Programs
Training at Associated Training Services schools is quite intensive. Sure, we could ease up on the program, but we want you to be out of our school and into a career as soon as possible. The most time you are likely to need to earn your certification is a few months, that sure beats an apprenticeship, which can take years.

Contact us at Associated Training Services if you have any questions.

Construction is a great industry, we firmly believe that, but you have to admit that it treats some people a little better than others. Getting certification can work wonders for your employment situation. It strengthens your position, makes you more valuable and changes you from a laborer to a skilled worker. With certification you will:

Certification can turn your job into a career. It is relatively easy to get certified in a heavy equipment career. All it takes is a few months of intensive training at one of our Associated Training Services schools. We have a range of training programs for different types of heavy equipment. The training program is comprised of both classroom lessons and and practical training in our simulated work place environments.

If you have any questions relating to heavy equipment certification, please do not hesitate to contact us.