North Dakota’s Building Trades Unions and industry partners are helping give high school students a hands-on introduction to careers in the skilled trades through a new heavy equipment training “sandbox” in West Fargo.
The training site was developed through a partnership between the Cass County Career & Technical Education Center (C3TEC), the Career Innovation Center at NDSCS, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49, and North Dakota’s Building Trades Unions.
The sandbox supports students enrolled in C3TEC’s Heavy Equipment Operations Pathway. Students in grades 10–12 can earn both high school credit and apprenticeship credit while learning about heavy equipment operation, maintenance, and potential careers in the industry.
More than $350,000 in equipment, materials, and labor was donated by project partners to create the training area. Located on land donated by IUOE Local 49 next to its West Fargo union hall, the site provides students with a controlled environment where they can safely develop equipment operating skills and gain experience relevant to careers in the skilled trades.
Additional industry partners supporting the project include Ames Construction, Borsheim Crane Service, Butler Cat, Midwest Seeding, Northern Improvement Co., Park Construction Co., and Veit.
The new training site reflects the continued commitment of North Dakota’s building trades, contractors, and education partners to developing the next generation of skilled workers and creating stronger pathways from the classroom into registered apprenticeship and rewarding careers.