OCEAN COUNTY – The Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS) recently held a craft advisory meeting about their New Heavy Equipment Operator (HEOP) Program.
The OCVTS discussed how the new program will provide students with opportunities and its potential to support the industry.
Many local businesses attended the Craft Advisory Meeting which included Earle Company, Shore Builders Association, Highway Equipment Company, Terminal Construction, Esposito Construction, Eosso Brothers Paving, Monmouth Ocean Development Council, Monmouth County Vocational School District, and Hunterdon County Vocational School District.
The meeting involved a tour of the HEOP Program and allowed individuals to test drive in-class simulators and experience authentic learning in action. The meeting also included topics such as recent program developments and vision for the future of OCVTS, planning, and development of the Heavy Equipment Operator Program, recruiting and the crucial role of the industry, pre-apprentice and apprenticeship opportunities, job placement, advisory feedback and recommendations for program improvement.
The HEOP program is a pre-apprentice program that will provide students with the knowledge and skills required to operate heavy equipment in accordance with industry standards. Students will be learning industry-relevant, hands-on instruction that corresponds with the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER) Heavy Equipment Operations curriculum. Students will use state of the art in-class simulators and authentic learning opportunities to further their skills and eventually to operate actual machinery.
