I’m pleased to announce that the Southern California College of Construction has opened it’s doors.

There are colleges for many higher education specialties – medicine, sciences, nursing, the arts, and literature among others, but there’s never been a college created specifically for the trades.

Now, with the opening of the Southern College of Construction those interested in a career in construction trades, particularly heavy equipment operators, have a dedicated college where they can learn the needed skills.

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools, www.nahets.org, has approved this new college. The college itself came about because of the equipment operator shortage throughout the country.

To learn more about the new Southern California College of Construction please read the following press release:

The Southern California College of Construction opened it’s doors on June 16, 2007. The male non traditional college bound student has been under served. Female non-traditional higher education is served by beauty schools, medical assistant schools, and career colleges; however, the male dominated trades are being overlooked by higher education. Sure community colleges serve a portion of the male population; however, not to the level that society demands. What has happened to the male dominated “trade schools”. Electronics schools are obsolete in this disposable society we live in. Electronics are no longer repaired they are replaced. Welders, truck drivers, crane operators, equipment operators, where are they getting trained?

The current educational community is not meeting the needs of three main categories of the male population; i.e, Non-traditional college bound high school graduate; the non-college bound high school graduate, and the high school drop out. This vast resource of American male human mass is severely under-served by the traditional college educational products. Matt Klabacka, president of NAHETS believes that this large market segment is being under-served and is ripe for a product that provides an alternative to the current educational options and at the same time serves society with a vital resource of nationally certified heavy equipment operators.

During the industrial revolution unions stepped in and trained for the trades; however, with the unions losing ground new trade training has been under served. Take heavy equipment training for example; whereas the majority of heavy equipment training in the past has been performed on the job, and a few community colleges.

Klabacka states, “post secondary students can be defined in five separate categories: the traditional college bound student, the semi-traditional college bound student, the non-traditional college bound student, the non college bound student, and the high school dropout.

* Traditional College Bound High School Graduate This student has a professional and/or academic college bound track prepared as a junior in high school. They know the college/university they will be attending as an instate or out of state student. They understands how and who is paying for their education and they are prepared to enter college immediately in the fall of their high school graduation year with the full support and encouragement from their parent(s). These students are driven either voluntarily or involuntarily.

* Semi-traditional College Bound High School Graduate This high school student desires further post secondary academic non career specific education; however, they are not focused on any particular area of study. They generally enter their university system at the community college level with anticipated transfer into the university system at some time in their undefined future with full intentions of eventually seeking their bachelors degree. This student may or may not have their parental support; however, they are not fully aware of how they are going to pay their tuition. with their local public university and or community college.

* Non-Traditional College Bound High School Graduate This high school graduate seeks further career specific education and training but seeks this in the form of industry or hands on training and learning. The term college bound is somewhat misleading because the term college has never been an option for this student. For whatever reason, either self worth or financial, this person never considered themselves entering any formal academic educational institution at the post secondary level; however, further training has always been an option. This student’s willingness and desire to learn more, generally in the trades, has always been an option. This person is generally a hard worker and average or above average intelligence.

* Non-College Bound High School Graduate This high school graduate left school for good the day they graduated, “never to learn another thing”. However, their youth and inexperience catches up with them in their late twenty’s and early thirties. They realize that education and training are their only option to advance in pay. They begin to seek out hands on educational training programs that can further them in their current career or they begin to seek other career avenues that are less physically demanding and that will provide a more stable future.

* High School Drop Out This person left high school due to lack of intelligence and or Independence and life requirements forcing them from completing high school. Many end up seeking their ged’s in their twenties after realizing their high school lack of judgement. They realize that education and training are their only option to advance in pay. They begin to seek out hands on educational training programs that can further them in their current career or they begin to seek other career avenues that are less physically demanding and that will provide a more stable future.”

SC College of Construction aims to serve the needs of these students by supplying industry with a qualified, motivated, skilled entry level equipment operator.

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools, NAHETS (www.nahets.com) which was formed to improve upon and fill the needs of the equipment operator shortage around the country. A short look at Wikipedia shows that NAHETS is the nationally recognized organization to oversee quality and standards within the heavy equipment industry. NAHETS campuses utilize standardized curriculum produced my the National Center for Construction Education, and institutional standards for example;
Members schools and colleges of NAHETS must have the following:

* Full time campus director or college president
* Full time on site campus job placement director
* Full time on site campus financial aid director
* Full time on site campus admissions director
* Full time on site Heavy equipment training director
* Full time Certified heavy equipment training instructors
* 20 acre minimum heavy equipment training area
* 3-4 classrooms dedicated to training heavy equipment operators
* No other business conducted at training site
* Clean administrative facilities.

NAHETS Membership requirements

Each member heavy equipment training school that wishes to join NAHETS must have no other activity associated with the operation of the school. In other words, 100% of their operations must be dedicated to training heavy equipment operators.