Excavator Training Cost & the Available Funding You Can Avail
Now that you have finally decided that you want to pursue a career as an excavator operator and you want to take the training course to add to your portfolio, you might be asking how much does excavator training cost?
The training cost could set you back between $3,000 and $10,000 depending on the school where you want to take the training and the type of excavator equipment you want to get certified on.
It is not cheap, I know!
And because it is expensive, you be thinking, are there ways to pay for the tuition? Well, there are ways you can do to lessen the cost, at least. You can avail the school’s financial assistance. See below the means you can do to pay for the tuition.
The excavator training cost may burn a hole in your pocket, I know. But if you think about the salary you can receive being an operator, you can easily recuperate your investment. The average hourly wage of an excavator operator is $19.00. You could make as much as $50,000 per year. You can easily get a quick return on investment.
The education you will get is a great investment for the future. The pathway to a better job and employment opportunities and of course money is through education. With proper training and education, you can be qualified for work as an operator in the construction and mining – the industries mostly in demand for talents like you.
Extra Costs You Have to Shoulder
School’s administrative and Registration fees – the vocational school where you will take the training may charge you $100 as an administrative fee and additional $50 for the registration fee, though not all schools collect such fee, I included this here so that you can know about it.
Study Materials and PPEs – The training school may charge additional cost for learning materials such as brochures, CDs, handouts, books, and other materials. The personal protective equipment such as steel-toed boots, hard hats, vest and safety glasses are required during the practical training and you have to buy them for yourself.
To get employed, that employer may have to require you to submit these credentials and there are corresponding costs that could put weight on your wallet:
NCCER certification – completing the training is nothing without the NCCER certification. It is important if you want to work on the construction site. To get NCCER certified, it involves passing the written exam and skills assessment. And of course, it does involve paying some testing fees. The fee depends on your chosen NCCER training center where you want to take the written exam and skills assessment.
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) – the employer may require you to have a CDL, although, technically you don’t need a CDL as an excavator operator. With CDL, you can operate dump trucks and trailers to transport materials and other vehicles from and to the worksite. If you have CDL, you are more valuable in the employer’s eyes. It can make a big difference between getting a thumb’s up or a thumb’s down.
Department of Transportation (DOT) Physical Test – as part of the application process, the employer may have to require you to submit DOT physical result to verify your health and physical conditions. The DOT physical test could cost around $90 to $140 depending on the doctor.
Financing Options You Can Take Advantage of To Pay for the Excavator Training
The training school may offer several financial options that you can avail, each option is designed to make easy for you to pay for the tuition. Here are the financing options you can take advantage of:
- Career loan – is a great way to give you the leg up you need for a career change. The government will shoulder its interest while you’re taking the training course. Associated Training Services (ATS), an operator training school based in Sun Prairie, WI offer such loan, you may contact them at (808) 383 7364.
- Federal Student Loan – if your chosen operator school is eligible for such a loan, you can apply, because some are not. You can always ask the school if they offer student loan and how you can be qualified. If you’re applying for such a loan, you should be aware of your credit record, it is one of the criteria the school considers before you can be qualified for the student loan. See the grants you can avail, click here.
- Federal Grant – grants are much ideal than a loan because you don’t have to pay it back. Depending on the state where you want to take the excavator training, you may qualify for a grant that will shoulder all or some of the tuition. If you would like to inquire how you can avail the grant, the best place is to go to the office of your chosen training school.
- Veteran’s Benefit – If you are a veteran, you have a GI Bill that is available to cover the school tuition. This is a great opportunity for veterans to get trained to be a heavy equipment operator.
- In-House Financial Assistance - if luck is not on your side, you can inquire with the training school if there is in-house assistance you can avail. Heavy Equipment College of America offers Climb Credit that gives students for affordable and fast application of loan to pay for the school tuition. You can contact Heavy Equipment College of America by calling this number: (888) 879-9492, they have offices in CA, GA, NC, OK, TN, WA.
Completing an excavator operator training can be a costly endeavor, it doesn’t have to be. With the financial option available, states above, you can easily pay for the school tuition.
Availing the Grant and Scholarship to Lessen the Cost of Training
If you are a new student, you can meet the operator school counselor to get the information in the application. You can discuss your plan to pay for the training with the counselor and ask about the scholarship grant you can be qualified for. To avail for a scholarship grant, always keep your eyes and ears open, you might hear scholarships from your colleagues and associates.
If you’re presently employed and you want to complete an excavator training course for a skill upgrade, you can ask your company to sponsor you. The company can contact Interior Heavy Equipment (IHE), an operator school based in Winfield, British Columbia. This operator school offers grant to current employees, the grant will shoulder 2/3 of the cost of training of which the company will only pay 1/3 of the cost of normal tuition. If you would like to get trained by IHE, you can contact them at 1-866-399-3853 to make an inquiry.
When applying for a scholarship grant, be an early bird. You have to apply as early as possible, you don’t need to wait, since there is only a limited number of applicants that can be accepted, and you want yourself to be included.
To Make a Finalization
The excavator training cost is expensive, we know that. You may not have the cash in your pocket right now to pay for the tuition but with the several options you can avail, as mentioned above, to defray the cost of the training, you can have the course completed in no time.
Just find a financial aid that suits you and you’re off to take the excavator training course. The training duration could last for several weeks covering hundred of hours of classroom and practical training.
The excavator training not only will prepare you to get certified but it will also give you the right education to be a professional heavy equipment operator.
Take time and effort to complete this training, it will help you build your career to get better pay at the end of the day.
We wish you good luck on your endeavor!