Were you fascinated by big trucks, bulldozers and cranes when you were a youngster? Did you ever dream of operating a real one as you pushed your toys through the sand pit? There are many children that do, girls included, but somewhere along the line, their dreams become waylaid by other careers. You can still see the glint in the eye with some people as they pass by a construction site. They stop and watch and always seem to be reluctant to move on. If that’s you, it’s never too late complete the dream you had a child.

While many consider training to be a young persons game, it’s not, especially when it comes to heavy equipment operations. And if you think it’s a male only realm, think again. There are many woman now enjoying stable careers in the industry. There are only a couple of requirements to becoming a successful heavy equipment operator, the major one being a willingness to learn, and to continue learning while on the job.

Speaking of jobs, you may wonder if there is a future for the industry. At present, there are billions of dollars being thrown into construction. Much of it is government money, but as the economy improves, the private sector will start to invest – they have to if they want to grow. Construction is the backbone of our economy so there will always be a need for proficient and reliable operators.

If you had a dream to get behind the controls of any heavy equipment, why not fulfill that dream by undertaking a heavy equipment training course. You can complete a course and be work ready in as little as three weeks. The opportunities are there – why aren’t you!

Skid steer loaders have become one of the most popular machines on a building site and it all comes down to costs. Skid steer loaders are much cheaper to purchase, easier to maintain, and only require half the fuel compared to their larger cousins. Add to this a skid steer loader’s versatility and its ability to maneuver in tight spots and you have the perfect construction site work horse.

With the current economy still tight, construction businesses are looking at ways to cut costs while still getting the job done – on time, safely, and under budget. Skid steer loaders can certainly help businesses cut costs. More importantly, they are able do most of the work that other machinery, such as wheel loaders, do. The downside is, being smaller, their scoops cannot carry as much. However, being nimble little beasts, they can still load a truck with sand or gravel at the same speed, or faster, than a wheel loader. They can certainly nip around a construction site with more ease, laden or unladen.

Talk to operators of skid steer loaders and they will admit they are fun machines. However, whilst they may look like toys, the work they do is serious. Learning to operate heavy equipment is not that difficult today. Good training organizations can train you to operate a range of machinery in as little as three weeks. At the completion of your heavy equipment training, you will have the skills required to seek entry level employment as a heavy equipment operator. Whilst skid steer loaders may look like little toys, they are still considered to be heavy equipment. They certainly are the work horse of any construction site.

Career re-training has become an important option for many as working opportunities start to dry up and unemployment in some sectors starts to grow. Heavy equipment is one area where spending is increasing, especially in areas involving public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and schools. Whether operating heavy equipment has been seen as too hard, or perhaps individuals feel they are too old, re-training to start a career as a heavy equipment operator has not been a top priority for many.

Often, the biggest hurdle is the perception of cost. Any form of training places an impost on a family’s budget, especially if you have to stop work during training. However, today, you don’t have to stop work and the cost of training certainly shouldn’t be a heavy impost. And as for new recruits being too old, or finding the training too hard, you’re never too old and learning to be an operator can be completed in three weeks – so it’s certainly not ‘too’ hard.

If you are unemployed, or perhaps a war veteran, then there are a variety of government programs that you could be eligible for. We have available information related to military benefits and general government financial assistance for those who feel they may qualify. Other options include looking at education or training loans through lenders.

ATS can help you to source training funds through loans and you can facilitate the process if you complete our online finance application. I mentioned earlier that you don’t have to stop work to undertake heavy equipment training – and you don’t. One of the best options when it comes to funding your heavy equipment training is to break the costs down. For example, if you study part of the training program from home, you can continue to work and receive an income while paying a much smaller fee for the distance learning component of your training.

This is ideal for those who are still not 100% sure that heavy equipment is for them as you can test your own interests and abilities before committing to more advanced training. If you’re interested, check out our page on distance heavy equipment training – it could be the perfect answer to your situation.

If you are really interested in undertaking heavy equipment training then talk to us. Like age and gender, cost is not a barrier as there are many ways for a prospective student to fund their way through our training. If you’re ready to start – we’re ready to help.