RATHDRUM — Over the past few weeks, a lot of earth has moved at North Idaho College’s Parker Technical Education Center, and with it, the futures of students who are learning how to use heavy machinery to pursue professions in construction.
In the five-week rigorous Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program at NIC Workforce Training Center, students have climbed into loaders, excavators, road rollers, and other machinery to learn how to properly operate the devices that support the construction of communities, job sites, and roads.
Under the careful supervision of qualified professionals, they have completed the task at the Parker Center, with classmates keeping an eye out for one another and safety directing every step. They are learning a variety of additional skills and best practices related to the construction industry in the classroom.
The training is about opening a door for Kellogg resident Patrick Simmons, 34.
Simmons recently studied a resume writing class while seated in one of the Parker Center’s common rooms. He was raised in North Idaho and has experience working in the construction industry, but he has never operated machinery.
Simmons stated, “I wanted to jump into the machines and expand my skills.”
Although he has experience in the restaurant business, he stated that he is prepared for a new career.
Simmons, who has an associate’s degree in business management and intends to start his own company in the future, said the safety training has been very helpful.
He remarked, “There are things I didn’t know about how to protect yourself.”
The Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Construction Training Program awarded NIC a $299,951 grant to create and administer heavy equipment training and assist in placing participants in employment. The program is intended to help expand the capacity and capabilities of Idaho’s highway construction workforce by preparing more skilled heavy equipment operators to enter the profession. It also pays for the students’ educational expenses.
Idaho is updating its building, aviation, and highway infrastructure as its population continues to increase at one of the highest rates in the country. It is anticipated that there will continue to be a high need for qualified construction workers. The grant initiative intends to lower obstacles for students, boost the number of Idahoans pursuing professions in transportation and highway construction, and improve relationships between educational institutions and business employers.
NIC is providing two five-week courses during the course of a two-year award period. With 19 pupils, this year’s course is coming to an end this week. In the spring of 2027, it will take place once more. There are 154 hours of classroom and practical instruction in each program. Students this year attend from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Learn the fundamentals of construction, how to operate heavy machinery, safety, first aid and CPR, traffic control flagging, and forklift operation. After completing the program, students receive OSHA 10, first-aid/CPR, forklift, and flagging credentials in addition to a National Center for Construction Education and Research certification.
According to Colleen Hoffman, project manager at NIC Customized Training, the program gives students a solid foundation in a sector that is in high demand.
“This training helps students build confidence, develop safe work habits and gain the foundational skills employers are looking for,” Hoffman added. “Students who successfully complete the five-week program are positioned to move directly into the second year of NIC’s three-year heavy equipment operator apprenticeship training.”
That second year includes training on rough terrain forklifts, on-road dump trucks, skid steers, loaders and scrapers, with classroom instruction in excavation math and sitework. Students who complete all three years and the required on-the-job training hours with an employer can test for a journeyman license.
The grant-supported program represents significant savings for students. NIC Workforce Training Center’s traditional Year 1 Heavy Equipment Apprenticeship Training course, which runs weekly from October through April, costs about $5,600.
Colby Mattila, NIC executive director of Workforce and Economic Development, said the program was built with students and the economy in mind.
“North Idaho and Idaho need skilled workers who are ready to help build and maintain the infrastructure that keeps our communities moving,” Mattila said. “This program helps students step into good careers while strengthening the construction and transportation workforce employers need.”
Interested prospective students for the 2027 course or employers interested in partnering with NIC Workforce Training on this project are encouraged to sign up for updates at workforcetraining.center/HEO-Summer-2027-Interest-List.
