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What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Architecture and Construction cluster Construction pathway.

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Additional Information

Backhoe instructor Ted Casey recommends that people interested in excavating and loading go and watch operations at a few construction sites. More than once, people have quit his college course when they find out they are going to get dirty.

Look in the phone book to find the names of construction companies operating in your area and ask if they will allow you to observe their work.

Those in the industry say education will be increasingly important over the next decade. Knowledge of computerized machinery is expected to be increasingly important.

Most backhoe operators are trained on the job, but some colleges and unions now offer courses on operating backhoes.

Make sure a state or national agency certifies the program. Check out your school with the Better Business Bureau before paying for instruction.

Ensure the program provides an adequate amount of instruction. Casey's college course lasts 30 hours, and this is considered the absolute minimum amount of training time a person needs. He says that after 90 hours, a person might be considered proficient in backhoe operation.

Prerequisites for training programs may vary. Typically, applicants must be at least 19, hold a motor vehicle driver's license and have completed Grade 10.

Trade unions, such as the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Associated General Contractors of America, offer information on apprenticeship programs. Check your phone book for local phone numbers, or visit their website for a union near you.

Apprenticeships for operating engineers last three or four years, says the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

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