The announcement will be made at a ceremony on Tuesday, August 21, at the County’s road maintenance facility in the Chester County Industrial Park off Old York Road.

The Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program will include both classroom and field instruction in the operation and maintenance of bulldozers, compactors, backhoes, off-road trucks, motor graders, and other common construction equipment.

Blanchard Machinery Company, a major distributor of Caterpillar products, will provide much of the equipment for field training. Matthews Construction Company, a licensed general contractor in North and South Carolina specializing in industrial site preparation, will provide transportation of equipment as well as the use of some its equipment.

According to the Department of Labor, the current shortage of trained craftspeople in the construction trades will likely continue into the foreseeable future. The department highlights a lack of training programs as one of the underlying causes of the problem. In the construction and highway heavy industries in South Carolina, the need for operators has forced some companies to recruit out of state. Many municipalities and the S.C. Department of Transportation have also struggled to find trained personnel.

Chester County Supervisor John Weir said, "Chester County is proud to be part of Project Training. This will provide an economic boost to our overall economic development in Chester County. We are pleased to be involved with York Tech in this program to offer training for heavy equipment operators."

"The program is designed to create new career opportunities for people locally, but we also expect it will have regional appeal," said Dr. Dennis Merrell, president of York Technical College. "We’re especially happy that it is located in Chester County."