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(51?e Aftuantg The ADVANCE, May 17,2023/Page 11B
Heavy Equipment Pathway
Graduates Second Set of Students
PREPARING FOR THE WORKFORCE - Many of this semester's graduates of the Heavy Equipment Pathway will use the
knowledge and skills learned in the course to enter the workforce, as many have secured jobs for the summer or
after graduation. Front Row L to R: Damien Gieselman, Riley Bradford, Ricardo Abarca-Alarcon, Middle Row, L to R:
Charley Courson, Tim Adams, Will Rogers, Levi Curl, Tom Brodnax, Blake NeeSmith, Blake Huey, Drew Woodruff, Jody
Poole, Brandon McCall, Noah Huey, Noah Boyett, Stacy Randall-Toole, Derek McLendon, Brent Holcombe, Back Row,
L to R: J'Den Simpson, Caleb Jackson, Trevor Miller, Christian Ford, Eliseo Hernandez-Cruz, Carsynn Taylor, Jaden Mc
Cloud.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
The Toombs County
High School Heavy
Equipment Pathway has
graduated its second set
of students, several of
whom have already
gained employment from
local industries.
On Wednesday May 10,
and Thursday, May 11,19
students enrolled in the
“Intro to Heavy Equip
ment” course demon
strated their operator
skills on Caterpillar 323
and 326 hydraulic excava
tors, as well as a Caterpil
lar D5K bulldozer.
Students were judged on
several areas, such as
walk-around pre-trip
safety inspections, load
ing trucks, fine grading,
and more. “It’s not just a
jump on the machine and
get to work - these stu
dents are required to pass
a safety inspection, just
like they would be in the
workforce,” McLendon
Enterprises Health and
Safety Director Brent
Holcombe emphasized.
These simulators al
low students to work on
tasks, such as trenching,
navigating the machinery,
and practicing safe opera
tions. Each simulation ex
ercise grades the student
on their performance, no
tifying them of things
they need to work to im
prove.
The class has allowed
the students to make con
nections with local indus
tries and potential em
ployers, such as McLen
don Enterprises, Yancey
Caterpillar, and CW Mat
thews Contracting, who
all worked to coordinate
and judge the capstone
project.
Once all the students
completed the tasks, a
small “graduation” cere
mony was held, as each
individual received a cer
tificate of completion for
the program. Though
many of the graduates
were high school seniors,
several were juniors who
are now prepared for the
workforce.
Heavy Equipment In
structor Tom Brodnax
spoke on the class. “We
call ourselves the ‘Dirt
Dawgs,’” he explained.
“We are the first program
like this in Georgia. It’s a
great program, and it is
spreading like crazy
throughout the state of
Georgia.”
He continued, “Being
able to complete the test
ing gives the students an
opportunity to show off
the skills they have and
what they have learned.
We are getting them ready
for the workforce.”
Opportunities Through
Partnership
According to McLen
don Enterprises Equip
ment Manager Tim Ad
ams, several opportuni
ties have arisen for gradu
ates of the Heavy Equip
ment Pathway, as busi
nesses have gained inter
est in the program’s suc
cess.
“The program is a
huge success and wouldn’t
be without the students’
willingness to do the
work,” Adams remarked.
“Our vision that we had
two years ago of giving
students an opportunity
to gain jobs in the work
force upon graduation is
coming true.”
He informed that sev
eral of these graduates
will be working with
McLendon Enterprises as
apprentices throughout
the summer. Caleb Jack-
son, Blake NeeSmith,
Blake Huey, Ryan Gal-
breath, Levi Curl, and
Ethan Story have all been
employed by the com
pany, and Adams said that
more hires are to come
from the program. “The
program is working - we
have these guys operating
machines every day. We
also have several bigger
companies from across
the state coming to re
cruit pathway graduates,”
he explained. “As coun
ties keep growing and
spreading, we hope to
continue to spread quali
fied workers throughout
the area.”
Several seniors who
have graduated from the
course have also secured
employment after gradu
ation with various com
panies, including senior
Clayton Porras, who will
be working full-time with
McLendon Enterprises as
an operator after gradua
tion.
Community Investment
Adams and Hol
combe also shared that
the Heavy Equipment
Pathway would not be as
successful as it is without
the investment of local
businesses within the
community, specifically,
Yancey CAT.
“Yancey CAT has
been a big partner with us
throughout this pathway,”
Adams said. “They have
gone above and beyond
to make sure our program
works. It would almost be
impossible without them.
Whatever we need for the
kids — from machinery to
hard hats to swag bags -
they have generously pro
vided.”
Yancey CAT Repre
sentative Charley Cour
son commented on the
company’s investment.
“This is really a great pro
gram that gives students
the knowledge they need
about these machines so
that they can have confi
dence and not be intimi
dated when they go into
the workforce,” he re
marked. “A lot of Yancey
CAT’s customers are
partnering with this pro
gram, so it has just felt
appropriate to join in on
the endeavor. This work
is industry-wide - it
doesn’t focus on one spe
cific career, and I think
that is great for our com
munity.”
Background
During the 2021-
2022 school year, Toombs
County High School im
plemented a unique path
way option for students
through the creation of
the new Heavy Equip
ment Operations pro
gram. This Career, Tech
nical, and Agricultural
Education (CTAE) pro
gram is the first of its kind
in Georgia and makes
Georgia only the third
state in the country to
have this option for stu
dents.
The goal of this program
is to equip high school
students with the skills to
operate heavy machinery
and equipment. These
skills will allow graduates
to enter the workforce
prepared to be a valuable
accessory to industries
and to earn good salaries.
“In essence, where nor
mal students entering the
workforce after high
school will make around
$30,000, students who
complete this pathway
will be able to make up
ward of $40,000 to
$50,000 per year,”
Toombs County Schools
Superintendent Barry
Waller explained. He
stressed the need for
these kinds of skilled la
borers in local industries.
“Both Chicken of the Sea
and McLendon Enter
prises have repeatedly
shared that they need
equipment operators.”
This program is also an
innovative option for stu
dents who do not plan to
pursue college. Former
Toombs County CTAE
Director Carmen Roberts
noted, “Most pathways
are geared toward stu
dents going to college,
which can be frustrating
for individuals who do
not wish to follow that
plan. Having this pathway
gives more choice in stu
dents’ educations to pre
pare them for the future;
it is a very necessary addi
tion.”
This semester marks the
second completers of the
new pathway, which con
sists of three courses.
ay Nock
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