The Golden Isles College and Career Academy (GICCA) was recently awarded a $417,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Education to support GICCA’s new Heavy Equipment Operations Pathway. The funds will be used to purchase four Caterpillar Motion Platform Simulators to supplement the two existing static simulators the Career Academy installed earlier this year.
Each motion simulator costs $100,000. These simulators will feature the same genuine controls as found in the actual machine which means operators can make a seamless transition to the field. The Controls can be easily converted to simulate the actual controls of a bulldozer and hydraulic excavator. The simulators look like large arcade games and feature realistic movement, vibrations and sounds that simulate the construction environment.
The Career Academy recently began offering the Heavy Equipment Operations Pathway this past year, and students have already completed Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Introduction to Construction. This Fall, students will complete the Pathway with Introduction to Heavy Equipment Operations and Heavy Equipment Operations. As part of this training, students will attend field trips to observe heavy equipment in action and they will be able to see how the controls on the real equipment are exactly the same as on the simulators.
GICCA Principal and CTAE Director Dr. Joseph Depenhart underscores the importance of this grant to the local community.
“We are very grateful that the Georgia Department of Education has selected Glynn County for this fantastic opportunity. As with many jobs in construction and industry, there continues to be a major demand for workers with skills and knowledge necessary to operate heavy equipment,” he said. “This generous training package we have been granted, combined with our strong relationship with Seaboard Construction, will enable us to prepare Glynn County students to fill immediate positions upon graduation from high school. This is an exciting opportunity to continue GICCA’s work of providing skilled workers to keep Glynn County moving forward.”
Prior to pathway completion, students will have the opportunity to complete Capstone Projects where they perform tasks on real equipment, hosted by GICCA’s construction pathway partner, Seaboard Construction.
During the capstones, seasoned operators observe the students and make sure they adhere to safety guidelines. Students who successfully complete the pathway will have the opportunity to enter into work-based learning and internships within the construction industry. Upon graduation, students will benefit from the connections they’ve made with Seaboard Construction.
Jeff Kicklighter, President of Seaboard Construction is optimistic about this additional investment in the program. “This is great news for Glynn and the surrounding counties. I would like to thank Dr. Scott Spence and Jerry Mancil for their commitment to the community as well as Dr. Joseph Depenhart (GICCA Principal) and Jeff Holland (Construction Instructor) for their hard work with this pathway. I also would like to thank the Georgia Highway Contractors Association for their assistance in this pathway program. Seaboard is committed to the partnership with GICCA, not only for Seaboard but for other contractors seeking young, excited equipment operators to fulfill the needs of our industry,” he said.
GICCA Foundation CEO, Brian Weese echoed Kicklighter’s comments, stating “This investment in our local workforce will provide Glynn County students with a new career option into in-demand high-paying careers in the construction field, and we hope our partnership with Seaboard Construction will create a seamless transition from classroom to career for many of these students.”
For more information on any of GICCA’s pathways, contact CEO Brian Weese at 912-280-4000 or [email protected].