Recent reports indicate that the construction industry is in dire need of skilled laborers. Here is a closer look at what makes skilled workers and the skills that are needed to be a skilled worker in the construction industry.

There are many must-have construction skills. To succeed you must have the following capabilities:

• Physical strength and stamina
• Manual dexterity and coordination
• Strong reading and math skills
• Building and mechanical knowledge
• Excellent vision and depth perception

If you are a skilled worker, you will have no trouble finding employment in the construction industry. With the proper training, you can gain the skills that the field demands, and you can also get the safety training needed to protect you – and others – while on the job.

By learning how to do your job safely and how to operate the tools of the trade, you are improving your job opportunities. Also, crane operators and other heavy equipment operators are in demand in the construction industry.

Associated Training Services (ATS) has been helping construction workers get the training they need to succeed since 1959. There are specialized training programs available as well as heavy equipment, crane, rigging/signalperson, tower crane, commercial truck driving, digger derrick, and directional drilling training programs available.

Call (800) 383-7364 to discuss your training needs and to learn more about the programs we have available. We are accredited, and financial aid is available.

There are many different types of equipment that come under the classification of heavy equipment. Some of these machines are specialized and training is generally undertaken on the job. A prerequisite to gaining employment and subsequent training for many companies is some form of heavy equipment training and experience.

One specialized machine that you wont see every day is the bucket-wheel excavator. These machines are used in surface mining and civil engineering. The bucket-wheel gets its name from the design – a large rotating wheel mounted on an arm or boom with a series of scoops or buckets on the outer edge of the wheel. As the wheel turns, the buckets remove soil or rock and carry it around to the backside of the wheel where it falls onto a conveyor.

Some bucket-wheel excavators truly fit the classification of heavy equipment. The can be over 200 meters long and up to 100 meters in height.

The largest machines are used in German strip-mining operations. They cost over $100 million, take 5 years to assemble, require 5 people to operate and weigh more than 13,000 tons. The MAN Takraf is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest land vehicle.

Of course they are the giants. There are smaller bucket-wheel excavators in use. To operate on of those machines requires specialized training. This training is based on your knowledge and experience in using excavators or other heavy equipment such as bulldozers or motor graders.

You can receive training in heavy equipment such as bulldozers, motor graders and excavators through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.