News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Polinski
(803) 981-7161

Press Conference to Unveil New Heavy Equipment Operator Training Facility

CHESTER—At a press conference on Tuesday, October 13, York Technical College will unveil its new Heavy Equipment Operator Training facility in Chester. The event, which begins at 10 a.m., will take place at the program's training site in the Chester Industrial Park.

York Tech’s Heavy Equipment Operator program offers students nationally-recognized curricula developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and taught by NCCER accredited instructors. By giving men and women recognized, marketable skills, the program and the partnerships that created it make a solid contribution to the economic development of the region and the state.

Funding for the new 1,493-square-foot training facility was provided by the York Technical College Foundation. It consists of space for two classrooms, an office, a reception area, service area, locker rooms and restrooms. The land for the new facility was provided by Chester County.

Upon completing the program, students of the program have the knowledge and skills needed to use heavy equipment for land clearing, building culverts and ponds, excavating ditches for utilities, as well as pipe laying and road building. They are also eligible to have transcripts and documentation of their training placed in NCCER's National Registry. This registration ensures that students' qualifications will be recognized wherever they go.

The Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program has grown rapidly since it started in 2001. Ken Strickland, who manages the program, said, “Over the past eight years, we have trained more than 2,700 students in the operation of heavy construction equipment.” Strickland also said that the success of the program was largely due to valuable partnerships with Chester County, Carolinas AGC, Blanchard Machinery, James River Equipment, Briggs Equipment, Charlotte Tractor, and Matthews Construction.

The Heavy Equipment Operator Program is comprised of Basic and Advanced level training. Both levels offer students nationally-recognized curricula developed by the NCCER. Students with little or no heavy equipment experience are enrolled in the Basic program. At this level, they learn how to operate the most frequently used heavy construction equipment, including bulldozers, front-end loaders, backhoes, excavators, motor graders and scrapers. Students at the advanced level learn more advanced operating techniques and how to work with grade stakes.

For more information, contact Dr. Ed Duffy at (803) 327-8012 or duffy@yorktech.com.

York Technical College . 452 S. Anderson Road . Rock Hill, SC 29730