ROCK HILL—On Friday, Tom Wilson, a resident of Pomeroy, Ohio, graduates from York Technical College's Crane Operator training program. When he does, Wilson will have more than just a certificate to show for his effort.  By successfully completing  the 4-week program, Wilson will be guaranteed a job as a crane operator with Slater Welding and Erection when he returns to Ohio.

Before selecting the training program offered by York Technical College, Wilson spent several weeks researching crane operator training opportunities.  Wilson's research revealed that there are only two other non-union  training programs of its kind in the entire United States—one in New York state and the other in Washington state. 

Wilson choose the college's program for several reasons: "Price was definitely a  factor," said Wilson. According to Wilson, the cost of York Technical College's program is about half as expensive as the training available in Washington state. Another factor was location. "It made more sense for me to travel 400 miles to Chester, South Carolina, than it did to go to Tacoma, Washington," said Wilson.

Like all of York Tech's Heavy Equipment training, the crane operator course combines classroom and field instruction as part of a nationally-recognized curriculum developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). NCCER curricula consist of modular, competency-based courses designed by industry experts and taught by NCCER-accredited instructors. The York Technical College's Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program operates on a 26-acre site in the Chester County Industrial Park.

AME Inc. of Fort Mill, which has been affiliated with York Technical College for about 40 years, provides the cranes for the hands-on portion of the training. AME and the other industry and municipal partners are vital to the success of York Tech's Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program. Those partners include Chester County, Blanchard Machinery Company, Matthews Construction Company, James River Equipment, Briggs Equipment, and the Carolinas Branch of the Association of General Contractors.

By giving men and women recognized, marketable skills, the program and the partnerships that created it make a solid contribution to the economic development of our region and our state. Since opening its doors in the fall of 2002, almost 200 students have trained at York Tech's Heavy Equipment facility in Chester and another 600 have received training from the program's instructors at other sites around the state.

For more information about Mobile Crane Operator training at York Tech, contact Ken Strickland at (803) 981-7338.

York Technical College . 452 S. Anderson Road . Rock Hill, SC 29730