Alaska Driving Academy

Course Description

The Basic Civil Construction course will prepares students for professional construction work as Heavy Equipment Operators. Participants receive instruction in the classroom and gain hands-on practical experience, following the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) core curriculum. 

 

Each class has no more than 8 students, ensuring personal attention and plenty of time with each piece of heavy construction equipment.

​

Because this is a rigorous, full-time course, we recommend that participants devote their full schedule to the training.

​

On-site courses are held 8 hours per day, for 40 hours per week. over a 3 week period for a total of 120 hours of quality instruction- well preparing ADA graduates as entry-level heavy equipment operators.

​

The first week of training consists of classroom instruction, where students will be taught basic civil engineering concepts, equipment familiarization, workplace safety, applied mathematics, project-layout and basic surveying, including the proper use of laser levels, transits, chain and rod, plumb bobs, and hand-sight levels.

​

The next two weeks will be spent in the field developing the skills needed to operate heavy machinery safely and efficiently – stressing proper operating techniques, and preventative maintenance.

​

In the field training will consist of with hands-on supervised instruction in coordinated excavation team operations. This is where each student’s individual skills gained in classroom will come together in project-based crew tasks assigned at the appropriate level for the students as they progress. This course prepares graduates for work in heavy construction, surface mining, forestry, industrial, recycling industries.

​

Classroom and Hands-on practice is provided for the operation of each major type of equipment. This way, each student receives exposure to all the machinery they are likely to experience in the field.

​

ADA is registered as an authorized program with the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE).

 

ADA proudly provides the necessary coaching and examinations to ensure graduates to their certificate during this course. The NCCER Core Curriculum, and Heavy Equipment Operator Levels 1, 2, and 3 are covered in this high intensity 3-week training course.

​

Related Duties

During the program, each student will be taught to perform the following related duties:

• Site Preparation

• Grade Checking

• Operator Preventative Maintenance

 

Basic survey work is integrated into most projects, including project layout and cut or fill to sub-grade.

​

Current Equipment List

Each student gets plenty of hands-on time operating each piece of machinery. The low participant-to-instructor ratio ensures that each trainee gets plenty of exposure. Our extensive fleet consists of the following:

• Dozers

• Excavators

• Mini Excavators

• Skid Steers

• Off-Road Dump Trucks

• Loaders

• Vibratory Compactor

• Water Trucks

 

Those interested in taking any of our courses should contact the Alaska Driving Academy today!

​

Length of Course

120 hrs over a 3 week (15 day) period

- 40 Hours of Classroom instruction

- 80 Hours of Field Training (Equipment Seat Time)

​

​