Heavy Equipment Operator
Make a Living Playing in the Dirt!
Did you like to play with tractors, bulldozers, and shovels as a kid? Get paid for it now! Graduates from Lake Area Tech’s Heavy Equipment Operator program will enter into a field that has a high demand for qualified workers in commercial and industrial construction, heavy equipment operation, and earthmoving equipment operation.
Students entering our Heavy Equipment Operator program will choose from a diploma in Excavation Operations after 11 months or an Associate of Applied Science degree in Heavy Equipment Operations after completing the entire 20-month curriculum.
First year students will learn:
- To maintain and repair tracks, wheels, brakes, operating controls, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, electrical circuitry, and engines
- Basic skills in excavating, digging, ditching, grading, and backfilling
Second year students will learn:
- To operate and maintain a variety of heavy equipment such as crawler tractors, motor graders and scrapers, shovels, rigging devices, hoists, and jacks
- Basic skills in digging, ditching, sloping, stripping, grading, backfilling, clearing, crane operation, and excavating
Lake Area Tech grads are averaging $33.89 per hour in this field and that’s just six months after graduation (this figure may include overtime in the hourly wage). Additionally, people retiring from this field will create even more job opportunities for new graduates.
Uncrewed Aerial Systems (Drones) Certification
There is a fast-growing demand for workers who can operate and maintain uncrewed aircraft systems in our region. The Uncrewed Aerial Systems (Drones) Certificate coursework will equip students with the necessary skills to be employed as uncrewed aerial system operators/pilots and technicians. Graduates will learn the laws and ethical procedures for operating Uncrewed Aerial Systems and will have the knowledge and skills to become a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificated Remote Pilot (Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate). Beginning fall 2025, Uncrewed Aerial Systems is an 18-credit, one or two-semester certificate delivered in a hybrid format with both online and on-campus components.
