Construction Worker in New Mexico

A New Mexico construction worker, that went above basic job duties, has been hailed a hero after he saved a toddler from a fire in Albuquerque on Friday, July 12, 2019. According to media reports, Mason Fierro was putting a roof on a building when a fire started at the apartment complex next door.

The construction worker said the crew heard a man screaming for help from a second-story apartment. He was hanging a baby and toddler out the window, trying to get them to safety. The construction crew grabbed ladders to the apartment building to assist in rescuing the occupants who were trapped.

Construction Crew Saves Two Children From Blaze

Mr. Fierro told the man to drop his children off and that he would catch them. He said the man first dropped a little girl from the window who he caught. In a few moments, the man dropped a small boy, who was caught by the construction crew as well.

 The fire at the apartment complex resulted in three people being treated at an area hospital. The two children caught by the construction workers were taken to the hospital by relatives. A third person suffered smoke inhalation. All three are in stable condition and are expected to make a full recovery.

The fire department reported that the apartment building was a total loss. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but the investigation is ongoing. Firefighters arrived on the scene within 5 minutes of receiving the call, but they said they were glad the construction workers acted promptly and saved the children. The firemen credited the construction crew with saving the lives of the baby and the toddler.

After spring flooding, pothole season is underway. Highway departments across the country are scrambling for workers to repair potholes. According to some data released by different agencies, the average pothole costs $23 for Department of Transportation workers to repair and $129 for contractors to repair. Sealing cracks, which usually happen along with pothole repairs, costs about $327 per square mile when state workers do the job but cost, even more, when the job is done by contractors.

Knowledgeable individuals who can handle operating equipment, and repairing roads and potholes are needed by independent contractors as well as state and local highway departments. Pothole season is usually in full force by spring and this is especially true after a wet winter followed by spring rains.  The increased traffic can also affect the roadways and contribute to potholes and cracks. During pothole season, additional helpers may be needed to take care of pothole repairs.

Damage Caused By A Pothole

AAA reports that damage to vehicles caused by potholes costs drivers $3 billion annually. That doesn’t include the costs of fixing the potholes. Potholes are created when the top asphalt layer is penetrated by water through cracks in the roadway. After that water freezes, it will expand. Then when it melts, it will leave a void. Cars drive across that void and then the asphalt gets broken up, and a pothole is created. 

There is a demand for employees who can repair potholes. ATS offers training for a variety of jobs, including those that involve repairing roadways and filling potholes. To learn more about the construction training programs available year-round, contact ATS today. Being on the road construction crew is a great job that offers steady work. It pays well and ensures job security.

Learn more on US infrastructure and building the future.

Look at any construction site and you will see the big machines going about their work, cranes, excavators, trucks, and so on, all play a vital role in any construction project. What you may not pay so much attention to are all the people on the site working around those machines, the laborer, so a common question is, why are they there?

If we think about construction sites, and what goes on, while the heavy lifting, whether that is actually lifting by cranes, or moving heavy materials, digging and moving soil, or drilling, is all done by machine, none of them can operate entirely alone. It is laborers on site who do much of the construction work, using hand power tools, moving materials into position after they have been dropped in bulk, carrying out assembly, and other skilled work within the construction where large machines simply cannot reach. All of these things are carried out by laborers, but that is just a fraction of the workload the site laborers will carry out on any construction project.

It is laborers that are the lifeblood of a construction site, they make it tick bringing everything together, they, as much as heavy machinery in their own way, power the construction industry. That is why laborers are so important, and why the skilled laborer has seen an increase in demand and increase in pay while other industries go the opposite way.

Laborer

Laborers do need specific skills to, of course, use hand tools, jackhammers, erecting scaffolding, forming up concrete, and other tasks that they perform every day all require a level of understanding of the process to carry them out well, and importantly, safely. They should also be able to read plans on-site, and as such, laborers are skilled workers, carrying out essential tasks that often form a structural part of a construction project, but those skills are not all a laborer needs.

The job is physically demanding, lifting and carrying materials, working hand tools and powered machines all require a level of physical strength and stamina, and in combination with that, the coordination and dexterity to carry out assembly tasks or operate small machinery. Safety training is also important, not just for the work they do, but awareness of other safety issues on site.

For instance, for a laborer working on a site with large cranes or a lot of heavy machinery, awareness of what is going on around the site and good safety training is essential, laborers are particularly vulnerable with such large machines moving around, many of which provide the operator with limited vision around or below.

Skilled laborers perform essential tasks on any site, not just in construction, but in mining and other industries too. While technology has advanced the capabilities of our machines, the laborers are still the driving force on any project.

Women succeeding in construction continue to face an uphill battle while trying to advance their careers in the construction industry, but they are making strides. Women are working together to overcome the gender barrier and are supporting one another. A recent article in Biz Women, one of the Business Journals, explained that the demand for construction workers, as well as executives and professionals to lead the construction industry, is growing at a much faster pace. Culture in the construction workplace had been keeping many women from stepping up into those roles in the past. Between 2016 and 2026, the need for construction workers is expected to increase by 12%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of those positions could be filled by women.

Looking at the Numbers

According to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), as of 2016 more than 10 million people were employed in the construction industry. Of that number, slightly less than 10% were women. Of the 939,000 women working in the construction industry, about 45% were employed in sales and office support positions. When the numbers are broken down more, about 31% worked in management and professional roles with 21% of them in construction, natural resources, and maintenance positions. Another 1.5% worked in service occupations while another 1.4% worked in production, material moving, and transportation.

Looking at the Salary

On a positive note, women’s wages in the construction industry are almost equal to those wages earned by men. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women earn about 97 cents on the dollar compared to men’s wages. With the growing demand for construction workers, women are now finding it much easier to get employed in the construction industry. Classrooms are seeing more women training for different roles in construction. Many of these women are undertaking specialized training to learn how to operate various equipment used for construction projects. The NAWIC reports that some classrooms for construction training now have as many women as men enrolled to complete the programs.

Qualified Applicants Needed

The Associated General Contractors of America released a survey that revealed 75% of construction firms had planned to increase their payrolls in 2018 because they felt comfortable about the strong economic outlook, regulatory burdens, and decreasing tax rates. But many of those construction firms who participated in the surveys reported that felt it is going to be more challenging to recruit and hire qualified construction workers this year while 78% already have been suffering challenges trying to find qualified and well-trained workers. To prepare yourself for a role in the construction industry, sign up for training. Call Associated Training Services today at (800) 383-7364 to learn more about our construction programs.

Sooner or later, anybody who loves a heavy equipment operator is going to want to get a gift for that person, and not just any gift will do. You might want to honor a recent graduate from one of the ATS Training Classes, for instance. The schedule goes all year round for heavy equipment, crane, and CDL license training so there’s always a new group of graduates ready to face the future.

Of course, the coming holidays have gifts on everybody’s mind, too. But there are only so many “I DRIVE A LOADER” coffee mugs anybody wants, so choosing the right kind of gift is a good idea.

The Skilled Trades Deserve The Best Gift

A heavy equipment or crane operator will generally be doing a challenging job outside. Truck drivers are in and out of the cab, too. Think about giving work gear that makes the job easier:

• Good work gloves
• Comfortable, protective work boots
• Winter gear that handles sweat and times of inaction, like high tech long underwear
• High-performance socks
• Travel mugs that don’t spill and keep drinks hot or cold
• Gift certificates for gear

Every job has different challenges, and the list may change with a specific location. The idea to keep in mind is that a professional who works in the skilled trades industry is going to appreciate a gift that can be used hard every day. It’s better to give a hard-working heavy equipment operator one expensive, high-quality item that will last for years than it is to give a pile of cheaper presents that break by next year.

Sometimes the skilled trades, like heavy equipment operation, seem like an invisible career. The only guy who seems to be famous and blue-collar is Mike Rowe, the guy who has become famous for trying out dirty and unusual jobs on TV. But as Mike would say, “somebody’s gotta do it”, and think about what happens if nobody does that job?

Skilled Trades Have Permanent Physical Impact

In any skilled trade, the result of a job well done is a change in the surroundings somehow. With heavy equipment, that change is pretty obvious, but somehow society forgets that something like plumbing depends on somebody being able to dig a ditch. All the changes to the landscape that make life easier happen because somebody knows how to operate heavy equipment.

The big jobs that are done with big machinery are jobs that change the world. If you can do a job that changes your world, straighten up and stand tall because you make a big difference in a lot of lives.

Skilled Trade Professionals Have Credentials

The two national organizations that ATS works with to provide credentialing for the heavy equipment workforce are:

• NCCER — the National Center for Construction Education & Research
• NCCCO — the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators

Being able to show a potential employer that you have these certifications shows that high standards have already been met in your training and that you have passed the tests required to show mastery of the skills required. As a result, these credentials are valued throughout the industries that rely on heavy equipment to get a job done.

If you are a skilled heavy equipment operator with the credentials to prove it, you can stand up taller in confidence that you are a valuable professional.

Remember Rosie the Riveter? She became the face of the World War II woman working in the big, rough factory while the men were on the battlefront. It’s ironic that the popular opinion was that women can’t do certain jobs when women did this stuff all the time without complaint.

A look at old photographs show women in factories from the beginning, and women plowing, mining, or doing heavy jobs alongside the men. Often, an entire family would be doing amazingly heavy work, including the kids. That’s not a reason to put a kid in the seat of a bulldozer, but it would be the ability of the pint-sized operator that makes it a bad idea.

This Is A Skilled Trade

What matters with heavy equipment is the skill of the operator, not the gender. There may be some factors with height in certain machines, but that is a safety concern. The hazards of whole-body vibration and awkward posture are universal, according to the CDC. Being female doesn’t make a difference when it comes to sitting at the controls. The training and experience along with the way a job is done make the difference, and it’s a big one.

Where does gender make a difference? Some employers have noticed that women tend to be more interested in improving themselves on the job, seeking out extra training. Because there can be some flak from the guys on the work crew, they also tend to work harder to prove their worth. But again, this isn’t exclusive to women. Men can be equally interested in improving and working hard.

Employers hiring ATS grads are looking for the best person for the job, male or female.

It probably doesn’t surprise readers to learn that over 200,000 women currently work as truck drivers. What is probably not known is that there are more than 100,000 women working as heavy equipment operators. It’s not just the older women who are looking for something to do once the kids have leave home either; there are a lot of young women who are also undertaking training in these fields.

So why are they entering what has in the past been considered a non-traditional career for women? Money is one lure as is the freedom that heavy equipment operators and truck drivers experience. There’s also the lure of power – not the kind of power that politicians crave; rather, it’s the power of the equipment. Being in control of a bulldozer that is pushing around tons of dirt each day is an incredible feeling for those who are new to this type of work.

Every woman will have her own reasons for considering a career as a heavy equipment operator. If you’re a woman and considering training to become a heavy equipment operator, I’m sure you will have your reasons – and for many, it’s a combination of those three – money, freedom and power. It’s the one area where anyone from any walk of life can work successfully in if they have had the right sort of training.

Heavy equipment operator training lays the foundation that opens doors to entry level work. Once you’re on the job, you can start to build on those skills. Modern equipment is easy to operate, and physical strength is no longer a requirement.

When it come to looking for work, you’ll be surprised how many employers readily hire women. They have a reputation for the meticulous, especially when it comes to attention detail, following plans, and completing the required paperwork that often comes with each job. If you’re a woman looking for a different career, consider joining the growing army of women truck drivers and heavy equipment operators.

Here’s a question to test your memory. Have you ever seen a woman operating a bulldozer?

I guess the majority of people would say “no” to that question. However, let me follow up with a second question. Have you ever really looked at a bulldozer operator?

Most people are fascinated by the bulldozer. The operator is almost unnoticeable. If you have looked a little closer, you may have been surprised since there are a lot of women now operating bulldozers.

It’s not just bulldozers. Women are training to operate heavy equipment in increasing numbers since it a job that relies more on skill and hand-eye coordination than it does strength. Once you put on work clothes, hard hat and gloves, the gender of the person in the operator’s seat is almost impossible to determine. Just as importantly, if you check any of the job ads for bulldozer operators (or heavy equipment operators in general), there is never a reference to gender. The selection criteria is, ultimately, very simple – can you do the job?

Heavy equipment operations is one industry in which new recruits are welcome. Industry in general acknowledges the need for new operators, especially when you consider the average age of operators is now quite high, and many of those operators will be looking at retirement in the next five or so years. Factor in the increase in road and bridge construction and the need for new operators is becoming urgent in some regions.

It’s interesting to note that the percentage of jobs listed in our Saturday jobs guide heavily favors heavy equipment operators. Not only that, they heavily favor operators who can operate a wide range of heavy equipment. If you’re interested in becoming a bulldozer operator, start by attending a heavy equipment training school that doesn’t discriminate, and which offers training on a wide range of heavy equipment. Whether your male or female, all that matters is being capable of doing the job, and that starts with quality training.

Heavy equipment – the term conjures up images of big bulldozers, excavators, and perhaps even backhoes or loaders. You need to be big, strong, and tough to operate this equipment, so women are going to struggle – right? Wrong, wrong, and wrong. You don’t need to be big; you don’t need to be tough; and women are certainly not going to struggle when it comes to operating this machinery.

The fact is, there are hundreds of women operating heavy equipment – perhaps more. If you include truck drivers, then you can certainly start to number them in the thousands. It’s still not enough. Women have proven to be very good operators, especially when it comes to tasks that require attention to detail. Heavy equipment used to be a man’s world, but today’s technology means that almost anyone can operate them.

Can a woman make a successful career as a heavy equipment operator? Many have and they thoroughly enjoy the work. Perhaps there’s a little something about stepping into that ‘men’s world’ that appeals. It could be that many of these women have been fascinated by heavy equipment since childhood. It doesn’t really matter. If you are a woman and you are looking for a challenging career, working outdoors, and controlling heavy equipment like bulldozers or excavators, then a heavy equipment career is right for you.

When it comes to gaining employment, your search starts by undertaking heavy equipment training. If you undertake your training through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools, then you will not only receive well-recognized training, we’ll help you find that first job – a job that will start you on the path to a career as a heavy equipment operator. Don’t let anyone tell you a woman can’t do the job – they can, and are, successfully – and so can you.