DOLE: Heavy equipment operator 'in demand' job

High school graduates looking for an in-demand and "hard-to-fill" job may want to apply as a heavy equipment operator, the Department of Labor and Employment suggested this week. Citing the DOLE's "Project Jobsfit: DOLE 2020 Vision" labor market study, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said this is a line of work that can absorb the most workers in the next five to 10 years. "The career guide on heavy equipment operation provides no specific educational requirement for entrants, but said most employers prefer to hire high school graduates with specialized training in heavy equipment operation and maintenance which are very essential to the job," the DOLE said. It said a heavy equipment operator should have the following skills and competencies:

Locally, a heavy equipment operator receives a monthly salary of P12,000 to P20,000, depending on the industry or sector, but in the United States, heavy equipment operators could receive a monthly salary of $3,500 to $6,000, depending on the industry. In other foreign countries, pay and benefits are definitely higher than local rates, the DOLE said. According to the guide, most heavy equipment operators start their career with a particular type of equipment such as a bulldozer, a backhoe, a grader, or a crane. But with experience and advanced training, operators can familiarize themselves with and can operate all types of heavy equipment. "Heavy equipment operators, as they progress, become supervisors, while others become trainers of less skilled heavy equipment operators," the DOLE added. Mining Baldoz said employment opportunities for heavy equipment operators are plentiful as they are in-demand, in many different fields, mostly on a construction site, and in a mining area. “They can dredge waterways and canals, work on paving projects, excavate rocks, load and unload cargo, or be in major assembly lines for massive items," she said. “Typical employers of heavy equipment operators are municipal governments, heavy construction firms, manufacturers of primary steel products, mining companies, logging companies, construction site maintenance firms, and quarry companies,” she added. Also, the DOLE said the training to become a heavy equipment operator will cost P7,000 to P10,000, and lasting about three months. But there are also instances that training are usually conducted in-house or on-the-job, particularly if employers have basic heavy equipment. The DOLE's 101 Career Guides is a list of 101 careers that would lead to jobs identified as in-demand during the next five to ten years. The jobs are in: — LBG, GMA News