Golden Apple: Operating Engineers Pathway Program Paves Way for High Schoolers

High school students from all over Minnesota had a chance to operate heavy equipment at Central Lakes College in Staples on Saturday. The hands-on event was put on in partnership with CLC and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49.

The Operating Engineers Pathway program is an industry-driven career exploration program that offers high school and apprenticeship credit to high school students in Minnesota. The program is in its fourth year and has already given students a leg up.

“It definitely introduced me to a variety of options,” said Kyle Grimsbo, a CLC student who has completed the program. “It taught me a lot about equipment and what they do in the math – math portion was good because it opened up reading blueprints for me, I’ve never done that before. And that gave me a head start with the blueprint and surveying class here at CLC.”

On Saturday, students were able to get real experience operating excavators and learn from people in the industry who are eager to share their knowledge with the next generation of workers.

“It’s pretty fortunate that me and everybody else here gets to be in here and learn and see what really happens out in the field,” said Chisago Lakes High School senior Tabor Keller. “I try to take in as much as I can. There’s a lot of information to listen to and pick up and act upon.”

Many of these students know that this isn’t a program that is available for everyone around the country, and they take full advantage knowing that they are given a golden opportunity to get a head start in an industry they might want to get into.

“You kind of just get like, the basic knowledge of all the controls, like how to run stuff, and then you get from people who are in programs or out working, like, what to do, like little tips and tricks,” explained Porter Matheson, a Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead High School senior. “It’s just great to see what people who have actually done it are doing and then they help you kind of figure out if that’s something you want to do or not.

Allowing students to pursue a path where they get invaluable experience and advice was the vision Local 49 had won starting the Operating Engineers Pathway program.

“It’s one thing to further grow that dream and the kids, you know, and I mean, growing up where I’m from, I mean, we didn’t have stuff like this,” said Local 49 Career Navigator Akeethia Lloyd. “And if we had programs like these when I was younger, I would have got in way earlier.”

The event was free to attend, and a total of 61 students took part. If you know a student who would be interested in the Operating Engineers Pathway program, you can visit the Local 49 website for more information.