There are many reasons people choose a career in construction. Here are some of the more common reasons that people choose to work in construction.

• You can see the results of your work. Your hard work pays off. You can see the finished project.
• You get to be outdoors. Your day is not spent in the office. Instead, you get to visit different construction sites and work on different projects.
• There are many different job opportunities, and you can choose different paths. You can train to do different jobs, so you can do various work duties. You may be a truck driver, a heavy equipment operator or you could be an expert carpenter or work in masonry.
• You have job stability. There is a shortage of construction workers, and workers are always in demand. You will not have trouble finding work.
• The construction industry will always be needed. There will always be a need for new construction projects, and there will always be a need for construction workers.

If you are serious about choosing a career that will give you job satisfaction, construction should be on your shortlist. To learn more about construction opportunities, talk with an educational facility that specializes in training programs for construction workers.

ATS offers specialized training and has payment options available. Call to speak with a representative about the options available.

Reports have indicated that there were 4,000 construction jobs added during May 2019. The Associated General Contractors of America reported that during the last 12 months there has been a 3 percent increase, which totals 215,000 new jobs. That is a significant construction jobs increase.

The number of those in the construction industry looking for employment is at a record low. The lowered unemployment rate and the increase in jobs are being credited to a tight job market instead of a decrease in projects. Many experts expect the trend to continue.

According to the Association, the construction industry’s unemployment rate is even lower than the unemployment rate throughout the country overall. While the average salary in the construction industry is 10 percent greater than employment in the private sector, the number of openings for workers in the construction field continues to climb.

Looking At Unemployment Rates

In May 2018, the construction industry had an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. One year later – in May 2019 – the unemployment rate for the industry had dropped to 3.2 percent. Looking at the numbers, that is a drop from 415,000 to 294,000 construction workers. Both the unemployment rate and the actual number of unemployed construction workers were at their lowest since 2000.

A government report indicated that in April 2019 there were 360,000 construction job openings in April 2019. That figure was the highest in the last 19 years of recordkeeping for that specific detail. The average hourly rate in the construction industry is $30.68, and that amount is about 10 percent higher than the average rate of $27.83 in the private sector.

Since there is a limited number of workers available, many companies offer construction workers better benefits and are increasing pay rates. More construction companies are working diligently to recruit the most experienced and better-trained workers to fill any open positions.

Getting The Right Training

If you are interested in a construction career, you should get the proper training so you can be prepared for the job. Associated Training Services (ATS) offers a variety of hands-on training programs. Call us today to learn how we can help you get on track to a new career.

While accidents happen in all job roles, more construction workers are injured or killed on the job than those in other professions. According to the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, the number of construction deaths on the job in the construction industry increased in 2016 based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data. There were 5,190 fatal on-the-job injuries in the U.S. in 2016, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. That figure was a 7 percent increase over 2015. Of those deaths, 970 of them were in the construction industry.

• When the figures were looked at more closely, the most common workplace accident that led to death was transportation accidents, which accounted for 40 percent of the fatalities. More workers were killed in transportation accidents than in any other work-related incident.
• The second most common fatal event was violence that was caused by other people and/or animals.
• Another shocking figure involved overdoses on the job. On-the-job overdoses increased 32 percent from 2015 totals. Fatalities that were tied to overdoses have continued to increase by at least 25 percent per year since 2012.

One of every five workplace death happens in the construction industry. When that is broken down, about 80 construction workers die every month in a workplace accident. When construction accidents were reviewed more closely, the leading cause of death for construction workers is falling. Of the construction workplace fatalities, 379 people died in falls during 2016, which was an increase from 348 in 2015.

While many construction workers interact with tools and heavy equipment on a daily basis, about one-fourth of the laborers killed in the construction industry were killed because of unintentional contact with machinery or equipment, such as cranes, grading machinery, backhoes, front-end loaders, forklifts, and aerial lifts. There were fewer transportation-related deaths in the construction industry, but there were more trench deaths – with the number climbing to 37 in 2016 from the previous year’s 26 deaths.

The unemployment rate is at its lowest in 60 years, and what it means for your career

A low unemployment rate is not something we normally see, but it can and does have an impact on our students and their careers after qualifying, so it’s important to look at what the current record-setting lows actually mean.

Its 60 years since the unemployment rate has remained below 4% for a sustained period, so these current levels mark a very different job market to the one we have been used to for the last 30 years. As with anything, supply and demand shape markets, and the job market is no different, with so many employed, the job market is more competitive than it has been for a very long time, and for students graduating from our courses now and in the near future, that is a very good thing indeed.

With so many people at work and so few unemployed, employers face stiff competition for quality employees, and this is especially true of those with desirable skills, including accreditations that are required to perform some jobs. Skills shortages are a very real thing, as employers are struggling to find people with the right skills for the job positions they are desperate to fill, and nowhere is that more evident than in the construction industry.

Of course, what that means for those with the right skills and qualifications, is that they are in demand, and wages are rising as a result. For heavy machinery operators, crane operators, riggers, and other construction positions that require training and accreditation, this means a great time to be building a career. Not only are there plenty of jobs on offer, but the wages being offered are rising, and for the right people, this can be an incredible opportunity.

This is where our training approach pays off. By using both classroom-based study and on-site experience, we train you not just in the theory, but the practical aspects of operating machinery on-site, and when taking on that first job, that experience can prove invaluable. We give you the skills and knowledge to pass accreditation exams, but also the on-site experience that will better prepare you for the first day in your new job, giving you the confidence to take on any position and succeed.

We can’t remember a better time to be building your career as a heavy machinery operator, crane operator, or any other construction industry position. With high demand for the skills, rising wages, and a steady growth in construction all over the country, we help you gain the skills that employers are looking for. Your long-term career could be just a few weeks away with one of our comprehensive, accredited training courses, you can gain skills that will last you a lifetime.

Working in the heavy machinery industry brings so many options for a varied career, whether it’s operating a crane, building office blocks in the cities, or building roads right across the country, but for some, it can mean a life in the forest, but what machines are used in forestry work if that sounds like your kind of job?

Some may be surprised at just how much heavy machinery is used in forestry work, and how many jobs there are for heavy machinery operators who like the idea of such work.  The machines most commonly used in forestry work fall into two main types, those based on a standard tracked heavy equipment base, using various arms to carry out different tasks, and the wheeled types, which mainly fall into variations of skidders.

First, we can look at the tracked machines:

The Feller Buncher

Designed to quickly fall trees, the feller buncher is based on the standard tracked heavy machinery base and uses a tree-grabbing device on its arm that also contains a high-powered circular saw, or in some cases a shear. It can grab and cut a tree in one motion, and then place the tree on a stack ready for transport.

Delimber

Again, based on a standard tracked heavy machinery base, the delimber is designed to remove branches from felled trees. There are various methods of achieving this, some use chain flails, and others are of a pull-through construction.

Harvester

A Harvester is similar to a Feller Buncher but is adapted to operate for cut-to-length operations, able to fell, delimb and buck trees, that is cut the tree to length with one machine.

Now, we can look at the wheeled machines:

Forwarder

In a tractor and trailer arrangement, a forwarder is designed with a lifting arm to pick up the felled longs and transport them away from the site. Because the logs are lifted off the ground onto the trailer, they are somewhat restricted in the length of the log they can deal with and are primarily found at cut-to-length operations, working in tandem with a harvester.

Skidders

For operations that deal with long logs or full trees, the felled trunks are moved using a skidder. As the name implies, these vehicles are able to deal with long logs because they only lift one end, leaving the other to skid along the ground behind.

There are three common types of skidder, the Clam-bunk, which uses open topped hydraulic jaws to pick up the felled trees, the Line skidder, which uses a winch cable that is manually reeled out and attached to a group of felled trees, or the Grapple Skidder, which has a grapple bucket arm used to grab and lift the trees.

Forestry work is attractive to many as it puts you out in the fresh air, and a training course for heavy machinery can give you plenty of options when it comes to your career.

While some states have fairly consistent climates and avoid the issue, all over the country the effects of a change from the cold, winter temperatures to the very warm summer ones are being seen in the roads that connect our towns and cities together. That calls for road repairs. For the heavy machinery industry, this is regular, reliable construction work that is happening somewhere in the country every year as we see temperatures change.

These projects offer valuable opportunities for heavy machinery workers all over the country, from smaller localized repairs to complete road renewals, the consequences of the shift from winter to summer brings opportunities that all industry workers can benefit from. Good working conditions and summer weather make these particularly appealing sites as well, and for many in the industry are some of the most enjoyable projects out there. Opportunities exist for all kinds of workers but in particular heavy machinery operators find their skills in demand on such projects. With a variety of heavy machinery in use, these challenging but enjoyable projects are well worth seeking out.

What happens is that the road surfaces crack, warp, and even collapse under the stresses that such temperature changes provoke, and while such things are not good for local commuters and those traveling around the country, for the construction industry it is a valuable business source that appears with regularity. Because such movements occur naturally, there is little to combat it, new road designs are always under review however for extremes of temperature the issue of cracking has never been solved.

That is one of the things that makes the heavy machinery industry such a great choice for a career because road repairs like that are not the only regularly occurring construction work out there. From new building works for expanding populations to projects to combat the effects of erosion around our coastlines, the simple movement of time itself brings new opportunities for the construction industry.

This is central to the appeal of the industry for careers because it is at its core an industry that can never become unneeded. For all of us connected to the construction industry, the work itself is interesting and the teamwork and friendships make it enjoyable, but it is the dependability of the need for such work that makes it the career choice it is. Industry is at the center of our way of life, and by just living and thriving, our country generates the work that keeps us busy. That is not going to change in any foreseeable future, making this one of the few industries today that can offer a secure career for life.

Varied and challenging, but always in demand, that ultimately describes the heavy machinery career, but that is also the core of what makes it such a great career for you. Opportunities are always there, in an expanding industry the need for your skills is growing, and as we have discussed, the world around us generates more of that demand simply through the passage of time, it is an industry to build a career in.

When you spend most of your day operating heavy equipment, your office is the cab, it’s where you are in control, and you know what is happening. However, without good communication lines, it can be a very isolating place as well. Operators need the ability to concentrate of course, but isolation is not an answer, ensuring in-cab communications are as good as they can be has become very important, for a number of reasons. Here are some things that can be problematic if communications are not maintained correctly.

• Safety – We all hope it never happens to us, but accidents do occur, and no matter how minor they are an investigation will always examine communications leading up to the incident. Good communication systems that are working correctly will always improve safety on site, both for heavy equipment operators and other workers on the site.
• Work Schedules – One of the costliest parts of any project is completion delays, missing deadlines, and failing to meet work schedules. Heavy equipment operators really benefit here from better communications, as it can help individuals and teams work more efficiently. On large projects, even small improvements can add up to big-time savings and can be the difference between meeting and missing a deadline.
• Teamwork – Smooth running of any site relies on teamwork, that operators are where they are supposed to be at the right time. However, given the nature of the industry, few people get to work in the same team often enough to build that relationship, so making sure the team functions properly each time is all about communication. Being able to adapt to a new environment and understanding how each group works is important for operators, and at the core of that is improved communication.
• Reliance on visual signals – Think of all the signals a heavy equipment operator has to take note of during any site operation to ensure the safety of themselves and others on site, there are hand signals, flashing lights, and flags used as guides or alarms, and this can lead to a problem known as alarm fatigue. This is where operators become overwhelmed by too many visual alarms and are unable to process them all. In-cab communications should not replace visual signals, but they complement visual alarms very well and can reduce the chance of an alarm being missed due to alarm fatigue.
• Stress – Operators isolated from the rest of the project in a cab without good communication can become stressed. Two-way communications allow questions to be asked and answered and operators to understand the project better and feel a part of the team instead of separate, helping reduce the stressfulness of the work.

There are many very good reasons to ensure cab communications are working well on any project, heavy equipment operators should always be in communication throughout any project.

There are good reasons and bad reasons for changing careers or starting an equipment career. If you’re young and with no or little job experience, it’s a good time to start a career. But what about heavy equipment? Is that the right career choice?

If you’re older, you might think twice about changing careers, but there are good reasons to do so even in the middle of your life. Here are three solid reasons why heavy equipment is a good career choice no matter how old you are.

1. Baby Boomers are retiring – Because the Baby Boomer generation is beginning to retire, the next 20 years will prove to be a good period for career change and growth. Companies will be looking for younger people to step up and fill the gaps left by their employees retiring.
2. There is high demand – The heavy equipment industry is seeking new candidates to hire and train right now. With America’s infrastructure crumbling, there is lots of work today. Both the private sector and public sector need qualified people to operate heavy equipment to build roads and bridges as well as skyscrapers and public projects.
3. The pay is good – There are few blue-collar jobs that pay as well as heavy equipment operator jobs. When you consider the pay, the pension, and all the benefits together, it’s a fairly lucrative field. And if you have multiple qualifications (i.e. rigger, mobile crane operations certification, Class-A CDL), then you can command even higher pay.

Heavy equipment operations is a good career, and there are plenty of opportunities to go around.

If you’ve ever imagined yourself sitting high up in one of those buckets steering a backhoe or a front-end loader from one end of a construction site to another, then this post is for you. It doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. It can be a reality, starting right now. Here are five reasons you should enroll in heavy equipment training and become a member of one of the best careers in the world.

1. Heavy equipment jobs are always in demand – It’s true. As long as people are driving automobiles, there will be a need for roads and bridges. And as long as there are roads and bridges, will need heavy equipment operators. Even if there weren’t any roads and bridges, as long as people are building things — homes, schools, churches, skyscrapers — there will be a need for heavy equipment operators.
2. The pay is great – Okay, so some heavy equipment operators don’t make a lot of money starting out. But all you have to do to make yourself more in demand and to earn the best pay on the job site is to acquire multiple certifications.
3. There is room for advancement – Heavy equipment operators become job site foremen and safety officers. The opportunity is ripe for advancement within the ranks of heavy equipment operators.
4. Baby Boomers are retiring – Older members of the profession are retiring in droves, and they will continue to retire for the next 20 years. That means there is plenty of opportunities right now for younger people to start their careers in heavy equipment.
5. Heavy equipment operators are admired – Every kid in the world looks up to and admires the men and women steering these huge machines. Even many adults see the benefit of heavy equipment operators because of the high value of what they do. It’s one of the most respected professions in the world.

If you want a skill that will always be in demand and that will lead to a rewarding career, then heavy equipment operations are for you.

Heavy equipment training is one of the bedrock of modern society. If it weren’t for construction workers, truck drivers, and other heavy equipment operators, much of our cultural infrastructure would never have seen the light of day. Roads and bridges, skyscrapers, single-family homes, apartment complexes, shopping malls, universities, hospitals, and all the other structures that make up modern society were constructed by people operating the types of the heavy equipment you’ll learn about when you enroll in an Associated Training Services heavy equipment operating training class.

Of course, we don’t see that changing any time soon. People will still need banks, grocery stores, and amusement parks well into the future. The processes of construction might change, and perhaps the type of equipment at some level may change, but someone will still need to operate that equipment. For now, it’s not robots.

That means, since construction equipment is still in use, heavy equipment jobs are still available. And as long as heavy equipment jobs are available, there will be someone ready and willing to train new recruits to use the equipment. It might as well be us doing the training and you get the jobs.

When it comes to training heavy equipment operators, no one does it better. We’ve been at it for more than 50 years.

There’s no time better than now to enroll in a heavy equipment course. Pick one and join the workforce.