Heavy Equipment Operator
Heavy Equipment Operators operate heavy machinery used in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports and utilities, and the construction of gas and oil pipelines, tunnels, buildings and other structures. They also operate equipment in surface mining, quarrying, and land-clearing activities.
They operate heavy equipment such as articulated haul trucks, tractor-loader-backhoes (TLB), excavators, dozers, loaders and graders to excavate, move, load and grade earth, rock, gravel or other materials during construction and related activities. Heavy Equipment Operators are also responsible for the basic maintenance of equipment, safety around equipment and the compliance of markers, grades and stakes.
Heavy Equipment Operator is a nationally designated trade under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program.
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Recommendations
The following education is required: Grade 10 or equivalent, including English 10 and Math 10.
The Apprenticeship Program consists of 4 weeks (120 hours) of general technical training to achieve Level 1. Thereafter, apprentices are required to choose at least one Endorsement for a particular piece of machinery -- for example, 'Backhoe' -- accumulating 200-600 hours of work-based training in doing so.
Additional Endorsements for more machinery may optionally be earned after a Certification has been awarded, and are then added to the original Certificate of Qualification. Refer to SkilledTradesBC for full details.