South Piedmont Community College and The Ironpeddlers are partnering to offer training through a new Heavy Equipment Operator Academy starting in July.

South Piedmont Community College and The Ironpeddlers are partnering to offer training through a new Heavy Equipment Operator Academy starting in July.

MONROE, NC – South Piedmont Community College and The Ironpeddlers are partnering to offer training through a new Heavy Equipment Operator Academy starting in July.

The academy will equip students with the nationally-recognized Heavy Equipment Operations Level I, II, and III certifications from the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER).

“There is a big need in the community for trained workers,” said Dr. Maria Lander, dean of the school of applied science and technology.

The courses will include hands-on lab time operating mini-excavators and similar equipment at the SPCC Tyson Family Center for Technology and on-site at the Monroe location of The Ironpeddlers.

“In working with a lot of our customers, there was a constant search for good, trained equipment operators,” said Paul Stokey, Chief Financial Officer at The Ironpeddlers. “That’s how the partnership was formed, out of a need from my customers.”

Students entering this academy will gain skills within two months that can set them on a career path earning $20-25 an hour. The courses are geared to get students into the workforce faster to meet the needs of the community. Two sessions of the class will be offered, allowing students to choose three-weekday classes or a Saturday class.

For more information or to sign up visit https://spcc.edu/heavy or call Kristen Griffin at 704-290-5223.