Heavy Equipment Operator

I whent to American Construction Training in Dothan Alabama good school but very hard to find a job.None of my job leads helped my onley offers were $10.00 to 12.00 dallors anhour a thousand milles away.I put resumes all over the country.I allso have two prior years in operating before i whent to that school good jobs are out their just hard to find.I do agree who ever runs theese schools are wiping their a**** with hundred dallor bills and cant wipe that s*** eating grin off their faces.It seems to me their are a lot of pissed off people that went to theese schools thinking they will have no problem geting a job i blame that on the money hungrey recruters.

you know i dont care how much stick time you have in school nobody beats site exp 6 month of school vs 6 months on site . site guy wins every time . you have to get on site use a shovel and wait your turn . think about it would you put someone on a 300,000 dollar piece of equipment and didnt know what their doing sure everyone knows how to [operate] question is do you know how to move dirt

Hi Dave, I hear ya loud and clear. I find it hard to believe that nine weeks of training equates to 2-3 years of experiance. But hoping for a new start that's what I did. So far I've applied to 38 of their leads since Sept. (I thought these businesses would know what their getting in their entry level perspectives, plainly they do!)I have nothing. Recently they sent a new jobs packet( Now I've been on the phone to Wisconsin, Red directly, and informed ATS these leads were dead, not hiring.) in it are the same leads they gave me 2 months ago! I know most of the students in my class are unemployed, but I would hate to deal with the next graduating class of 30!!!
To anyone that reads this find your states Department of Education, Post-secondary education division (It's called that here in NH) and lodge a complaint. This Department can revoke their accrediation credentials if it's proven that they can't meet their employment standards. Also, and this is what I'm doing next, is complaining to the Better Business Bureau, if perspective students read what I've seen on that site, they won't go. That should sting also. Next will be legal, and I know I'm not the only one thinking that. Maybe we can shake this up!!

mtb in Brockton, Massachusetts said: you know i dont care how much stick time you have in school nobody beats site exp 6 month of school vs 6 months on site . site guy wins every time . you have to get on site use a shovel and wait your turn . think about it would you put someone on a 300,000 dollar piece of equipment and didnt know what their doing sure everyone knows how to [operate] question is do you know how to move dirt

Hey MTB, True, school time doesn't seem to qualify on real sites. Although I was lucky enough to tryout(it was for 2 1/2 hours, and very free) it didn't get me anywhere. When I mentioned the school the foreman laughed and said" oh, that f**** school!" It made me wonder why they advertised on the schools job-site for help. Looking back I figure they are looking for th 1 or 2 students that have a background in it. The problem is they seem to have been locked into a job already, so the course is rounding their work experiance. You must have gone to Brentwood, when did you graduate? Thanks for writing, at first I thought it was me, but I have found out I was VERY wrong! Please tell other students about this blog. Let them write their story.

Good for you, what you are doing is quite right, the last thing we all out to do is get some of our money back, or they should stop saying job placement, because they are lying out of their teeth with that lie.

Hi Rodolfo, If they had stressed through the course that they couldn't guarentee work..I wouldn't have gone. I e-mailed my classmates and told them to look here, but I'm serious about the Dept.of Education. I e-mailed her some of these comments to let her know that something is wrong,and on a LARGE SCALE! The BBB will investigate, and will post unfavorable comments on their site,and is in the public eye! That may slow the influx of students which will "hurt them where it counts!" in the wallet. My wife suggested media, loudobbs.com, and I want a lawyer after, to take care of ourselves! I figue it's a start, if anyone has other ideas, PLEASE send them along.

I have 2years experiance prior to going to school in Dothan Alabama must have put 50 resums out their still no luck my home is in Sault Ste. Marie MI but moved to CA do to the winter months no digging going on their.Anyways feels like i through 13000 in the trash.Certified in dozer and excavator NCCER certified and all that good s***.These schools are just a good buisness oppertunity but not for us.

I have 2years experiance prior to going to school in Dothan Alabama must have put 50 resums out their still no luck my home is in Sault Ste. Marie MI but moved to CA do to the winter months no digging going on their.Anyways feels like i through 13000 in the trash.Certified in dozer and excavator NCCER certified and all that good s***.These schools are just a good buisness oppertunity but not for us.

Hi Michael, good job, keep in touch, we will figure something out, people out there just need to know that this screw ups are stealing people blind. They need to be stopped, and they will be. Let me know what is going on and I will be there.

1. Investigate the reputation students who graduated from the school have with local construction companies.

2. Given the same amount of time, you will always learn more on the job than you will in a prep course. However, the prep course should have prepared you to be capable of doing entry-level work in the particular field.

3. Be known as a person of good reputation yourself. If you have recommendations from other employers that you worked with, that is super valuable.

4. The state requirements for accreditation may be very low for vocational schools in your area. You can go to the net and read the standards.

5. You can call the BBB and see if there have been complaints about a school. Remember the BBB is a private business in business to preserve the good name of business in general. ATS may be a member anyway.

6. The advantage of the OJT and Apprentice programs is that Managers will be aware of your work habits, and they will be able to tell other hiring managers good things about you.

7. If you are thinking of getting training in any field and plan to work in your area it is very useful to run a newspaper advertisement seeking workers in the target field. I did this when I considered training to be a paralegal. I had lawyers applying for the job! So I was warned off that project before I spent my time and money on the training.

I found my trade and worked from associate to manager to consultant. Now I am sick and tired of working in cube farms and I am planning on working outside as an HEO. I have a record of accomplishing every thing I have really wanted to accomplish. So I am sure I will accomplish this change.

Thanks for the reminders about the worth of vocational training. Thank you for all the valuable information that is helping me achieve my goal.

Be Well,

Solaris

Great Job Solaris, we all should have done the research, we didn't so here we are paying for loans that we didn't need. However sooner or later we will get our money back, guaranteed.

Brett Bradbury in San Diego, California said: Yeah I went to ATS in Vegas,I was gonna stay through level 3, but I hi-tailed it the hell outta there, when I saw what BS it was! I stayed until level 1 was done. I would feel embarrassed to apply for an equipment job with what knowledge I learned from that place!( the instructor was lame) www.yellowmetalusa.com is a joke too, never stuff there either, in my area.
I saw another equipment training school that was charging only $6200 for an 8 week course! plus they had a sh!t load
more equipment to train on! ATS had 4 backhoes, 2 loaders, 2 scrapers, 2 dozers, 1 skidsteer?!? a piece of sh!t dump truck and 1 water pull!(most equip was old busted up sh!t too!) with like 30+ students in the class!?! people were just standing around waiting for equipment to use! sure we were grading too, but what a waste of money!
This other school had like 10 backhoes, 6 loaders, 4 scrapers, 3 water pulls, 4 skid steers, 3 dumps, plus you can save money! well we all learn our lesson I guess! UGGGGH!

I have been reading Your story's,It sounds like those schools are disapointing. Pleas dont let those schools reflect those that are good. There is a tech school in chipley fl. For HEO operators that has state gaide lines it is tought by. The the frame work is drown up by the state of florida. The program is like 1000 hr. and I dont think it cost as much as some of these schools been talked abought,I think you can get grants to pay for it and pay you to go to school. If you are eney one you now wants to
give them a call and see what thay have to offer # is 850-638-1180

If you want to go to a good school for heavy equipment operators.There is a school in a little town called Chipley Florida abought 30 min. north of Panama City Florida. It is all live training not a mockup training center. The corse is 800 or so hrs. long and there is not a big class. I think average class inrolled is 8-12 at most. I have a frind that went there after checking into other schools. He said it was half the cost of the other schools. And thay helped him git a grant to pay for the school and he did not have to pay it back. He is dowing good, traviling around with a company. The name of the school is washington holmes tech center. (850) 638-1180

Robert in Windsor Locks, Connecticut said: Everyone has to remember one thing. All these HEO schools can offer you is an NCCER certificate and basic training (6,9 or 11 weeks) to become an "ENTRY LEVEL HEO". You're not coming out of those schools a professional HEO. That will take years to master. Like an electrician, plumber, machinist, crane operator, etc. It will take years before you become a journeyman (on your own and licensed and making descent bucks).

If fact, just about anything you train for whether it be in a tech shcool for blue collar job or a college for a white collar job, all that you can hope to get is an entry level position. Same for Doctors, Lawyers, Senators, you name it. Every employer knows that when you graduate from a shcool, all you can be hired for is an entry level position.

This guy is right you come out of school you are a step ahead of most, but you are still entry level. Iv been in industery for abought 13 years. Dont get me wrong it will help and will usely get you more money, dont let eneyone tell you thay will make you a finish operator or an operator in a few weeks. That guy is pulling sh@@ over you. As I said Iv been in the industery for years and I am still learning. The industery is constantly changing774

dave in Cathedral City, California said: I whent to American Construction Training in Dothan Alabama good school but very hard to find a job.None of my job leads helped my onley offers were $10.00 to 12.00 dallors anhour a thousand milles away.I put resumes all over the country.I allso have two prior years in operating before i whent to that school good jobs are out their just hard to find.I do agree who ever runs theese schools are wiping their a**** with hundred dallor bills and cant wipe that s*** eating grin off their faces.It seems to me their are a lot of pissed off people that went to theese schools thinking they will have no problem geting a job i blame that on the money hungrey recruters.

This school is onley a few weeks long. NO one is gowing to hire you for much money just becouse you have a certificat. If you found a job for 10.00-12.00 Hr. I would take it and use that to get you some seat time in. What makes you a operator is seat time. From what I see if you could have went abought 30 miles south of dothan to washington homes tech center saved some money and got better traning. Give them a call and see what thay tell you.1 877 638 9482

Hey Solaris,
Thanks for the response. If you read the previous letters a pattern of opinion seems to form around the ATS and "like" schools. I would hope that you would use that information to "steer clear" of that type of school, and find some training that is longer than 9 weeks, although the school claims that is the equivalent of 2 years in the field.
Personally, if they included a CDL training, and that 40 hour Hazmat certification...maybeeee, it would have made it worth it.
I did check the BBB for a report, but the history was clean and that aided my decision to go. Unfortunatley, you would have to be a Professional to identify other students or to get an honest opinion from a contractor about the school.I was lucky to get contact information from classmates, and after we swapped stories about the jobsearch, that's when I started to suspect something. This blog opened my eyes to the scale of the scam.
There are many honest and decent people who were hoping to make a new start for themselves and their families. Now many are still unemployed, or underemployed, and have to settle for whats available. One of my classmates is washing windows, a long way from operating anything. It's not right, just like those check cashing scams...but that's my opinion.

Sorry to say but the truth is production is paramount in the gradeing industry and production is acheived by keeping highly SKILLED operators. any school that claims that they can teach you truly marketable SKILL in a few weeks or months on even 1 piece of major earthmoveing equipment i would doubt and i would ask for a list of graduates to talk to.Many people just don't comprehend how hard it is to acheive these skills and how much time it takes.IT LOOKS VERY VERY easy but this is misleading,these schools can be great if they are reputable.Make sure you check them out.good luck.

Hi Dereck
Great Comment, what you are saying makes great sense. On the job training should be used, and is used by alot of Co's throughout the US, however alot of us do not want to sacrifice the comfort of our homes and life's to go out of area to work for some of this Co's, and probably receive low wages, but I have found that it really works if you want to succeed in this type of work. Therefore alot of this people that are coming out with this ideas of how to make oodles of money for themselves, come out with this great ideas of how to screw people out of their money. Everyone should just stop going to Construction School altogether. Stop making this guys rich.

Rodolfo Gonzalez in Sahuarita, Arizona said: Hi Dereck
Great Comment, what you are saying makes great sense. On the job training should be used, and is used by alot of Co's throughout the US, however alot of us do not want to sacrifice the comfort of our homes and life's to go out of area to work for some of this Co's, and probably receive low wages, but I have found that it really works if you want to succeed in this type of work. Therefore alot of this people that are coming out with this ideas of how to make oodles of money for themselves, come out with this great ideas of how to screw people out of their money. Everyone should just stop going to Construction School altogether. Stop making this guys rich.

Do you live in this forum?You found a job as a welder/operator,the scool is terrible,and you are not your wife,ok please change the subject!!!!!

I also attended heavy equipment school in Dothan AL. The experience and traing was very good, but finding a job in my certification is kind of difficult.
Maybe, if I certified in a different piece of eqipment, I would have better luck. I certified in Bulldozers, backhoe probably would have been my best opt. Anyhow, GOOD SCHOOL THOUGH.

I graduated from their in the end of sept..beginig of OCT.with a girl from Bermingham was that you&she was certified in dozer. if you no cody, mark, randy,I certified in excavator&dozer still un employed.

Elizabeth Gardner in Birmingham, Alabama said: I also attended heavy equipment school in Dothan AL. The experience and traing was very good, but finding a job in my certification is kind of difficult.
Maybe, if I certified in a different piece of eqipment, I would have better luck. I certified in Bulldozers, backhoe probably would have been my best opt. Anyhow, GOOD SCHOOL THOUGH.

Actully i think i was in your class this is mark

Yeah! hey Mark, I remember you. How's it going. Email me sometimes @ heogardner@yahoo.com

Hey, I wish I would have known that before I signed my life away!!

Sorry to here that, I attened the same school, when did you?

the end of sept.lize right i am pretty sure you were in my class? you know randy,cody,mark,the one guy got kicked out the first few days he was their.I am on messanger heoforgrave@yahoo.com

Rodolfo Gonzalez in Tucson, Arizona said: I have been sending out Resumes Everyday, Lamar is still puting out Co. that don't respond. I am glad you got hired, why didn't you call me. As a matter of fact I am going to be attending a job fair this coming Saturday out of State. Maybe I will get lucky. I have a question for you. Who hired you in Vegas, not to imply racism, what color are you, I feel that I am being discriminated upon, I happen to be a Mexican American, not a white one, a Brown skin one, they don't even call me for an interview. I am not downing the Scool, I am quoting their promise of placement. That is false adds because they don't place. Lamar is in charge of that, and half the time he does not know what he is doing. That whole bunch in there are all in the good ole boys club, they all live in the same street in Vegas.

I used to work for the school as a admissions rep. I left because of illness in Oct 2006. But if someone GUARANTEED you placement they need to be fired. We were trained never ever to guarantee placement, they give placement assistance and all the tools to help you find work, resume writing, interviewing skills, as do most trade schools. If you can't find work in Nevada then you are looking in the wrong place. go sign up with a temp agency? or maybe even there is a place in Apex that is always hiring. sorry. i liked working for them. i would have gone to the school myself if i hadn't gotten sick. Have a good day.

Jason in San Diego, California said: One instructor I had in level 1 at ATS-NV would be drunk almost everynight (he was staying at the hotel most of the students were staying) on a couple of our "tests" we were given wrong info, and got the answers wrong because of it!

SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF INSTRUCTOR!!!

Hey Rodolfo,
Long time no see...Hey don't worry my whole class in unemployed still...YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE!!! But this story seems to replay forevery one I can find. The last two leads I followed up on asked me how they could get in on the scam!
Can you get ahold of your classmates? I am interested in the percentages of "placed and working" against placed and unemployed! I also have news that I can't put out on line so we have to designate another site to compare notes.

Hey Paige,
There seems to be discrepancies in the training, my school had chapters in the books that WERE IGNORED! Especially on how to get employment and so forth. The TWO biggest obsticles seem to be experiance(even with school leads that are recycled) and former students that had been passed when they should have failed! Never mind the inflated placement figures...someone had been paid off!

Also the Nevada and Oklahoma, and the Georgia school are all run by the same 2 brothers. yes they all belong to the same church. i was not a part of. had i been in their church and gotten sick, i most likely would have kept my job..lol..but i was just telling how i was trained in the NV office. The other ATS schools are run by a different set of the same family of brothers but there is bad blood there...then i do know there were weeks we were just scrambling to get butts in the seats and no, not everyone passed. i think in the 5 months i was there 3 students didn't pass. then also students who shouldn't have passed were offered "extra" help. who knows this was before we were at the school and we were in an office in Henderson taking calls. i'm sorry.

Paige, You actually helped enroll me and you were very good and honest, thank you! Maybe they got worse after you left but I hear they got some big time lawyer in Vegas that likes to suit the pants off of ex employees that bad mouth them, so be careful! I really didn't have any big issues, the equipment was kinda old and I told them so. But I came back home and went to work for my uncle. Also, did you know Debra the campus director is gone? Think like they must have some corporation behind them or something now. They might have even sold? So be careful.

Hey everyone. I cannot tell you how glad I am by running into this thread. I have always wanted to play on the big toys and was planning on attending the School in Vegas. Not after reading this thread. I was able to save up a small fortune by being over here and was going to use part of that money to get into it.

By reading this thread, I realize that a school cannot replace experience and that the school in Vegas is just a plain rip off! I really hope you guys get together and hire a lawyer to sue them. I have the DVD packet they send out and it says right on it that 95% of their students get hired. Doesn't sound like it to me.

Anyway, good luck to all of you and I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Cheers

Bill

I'm not bad-mouthing them. I am being honest! And telling common knowledge. Debra was the one who let me go after sending me to work from home. Then I was having seizures and couldn't focus on the work. Not their fault, I hadn't been there long and therefore had no sick time or vacation or anything so no job security. But when I was trained I told you what we were told. Not bad mouthing them, being honest. I know another girl left after she had her baby decided not to go back. But she said things were going downhill too. Who knows, I can only say what happened the short time I was there and I have email records and such so.....Have a good night guys!

Hey guys. This is interesting. I was looking at the Nevada School of Construction, in Las Vegas and almost decided against it because I was reading this forum. Then I saw Solaris' post and decided to check the BBB.

Here is the link to the report. I think it is worth a look by EVERYONE:

www.vegasbbb.org/rptrel.asp?bbbid=74717

Because of this report, I am rethinking this school...maybe I will go after-all.

ANY FEEDBACK???

They just joined the BBB in Feb of 2007!!! did you miss that. the BBB can only take complaints/do anything about them if they are a member. make your own decisions but tread lightly. Also this isn't going by their original name, only the one they adopted last May. dig a bit deeper.

Original Business Start Date: October 2004
Local Business Start Date: May 2006
Type of Entity: Limited Liability Corporation
Principal : Mr. Matthew Klabacka, Managing Member
Phone Number: (702) 644-9315
BBB Membership: This company is a member
Type-of-Business Classification: Schools - Industrial & Technical & Trade
Web Site Address: www.nahets.com

BBB Membership
This company has been a member of this Better Business Bureau since February 2007. This means it supports the Bureau's services to the public and meets our membership standards.

NAHETS is ATS!!! they changed their name last year on the books!!!!!!! Same school, same brothers

Robert in Connecticut... in Windsor Locks, Connecticut said: Thanks. I appreciate that. I had one more training school I wanted to throw out there. It's called National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools located here:
www.nahets.com/

They teach and certify crane operators. In my state, CT, and Massachusetts, you must be licensed or certified to operate a crane. The starting pay is 75-150 dollars per diem, I was told. The schooling lasts 6 weeks and they tell me you get about 140 hours on the crane. You then have to pass a written and actual crane operation test to get certified.

Every 5 years you must take the written test to become recertified. The school costs 12K plus living arrangements (hotel costs and food). So probably 14 to 15K total. They told me that crane operators there are classes of about 20 people. They also told me that there is 95% job placement as opposed to 60-75% job placement for their Heavy Equipment Operator training.

This sounded pretty good to me. After you complete your 1-3 year on-the-job training, you become a journeyman and can make $38 an hour and more. I've read that some places, like in New York, pay $80 an hour.

I think this might be a better direction for me. Does anyone have an opinion on being a crane operator?

Thanks for reading.

Hey guys!

No, I didn't miss it. The BBB would not let them join if the owners of the company had unfinished business (unsettled complaints) and they just changed the name. Also, since February, no one has complained about them, which is definitely something. I mean, you guys have a lot of great points, but no one filed a complaint with the BBB???

I believe you guys have had a serious round of BS sent your way, no doubt. Is there a possibility the company is actually trying? Sorry, I am not bagging on you guys and I hope it doesn't appear that I am totally on the side of the school either.

I emailed the BBB about the former name and reputation of the school and copied them a link to this forum. We will see what they have to say. Also, I did the same to the school, so let's see what they say as well.

In a previous life, I was a cop in Honolulu. During an investigation, you try to get both sides of a story and sort through the BS. My gut is telling me a lot of people have been screwed by ATS.. but no one has mentions Nevada School of Construction by name... so maybe there is a chance they are getting their act together???

BTW-- DON'T BECOME A COP!!! ESPECIALLY IN HONOLULU!!! :-)

Cheers

B

Hey Bill,
Good FOR YOU!!! Thank GOD you read the forum, try and get an apprenticeship through the state employment bureau, some are 4 year programs with paid work and school...states do differ. Im neck deep in a fight with ATS over here, but that Nevada school sounds like the pits!

John in San Diego, California said: Hey Roberto "Snake11???" gee 4 days out and I got 3 job offers already! starting 25-30 an hour!?! HAHA yeah right!!
plus we are talking about the Vegas school, not Georgia!
maybe Georgia is better than lame Vegas!
Seams to me if people were already in the construction trade (before going to H.E. school)
it probably would be A LOT easier to get your feet in the door
at an equip job, but if your someone like me, who is trying
to establish himself in a new line of work, you cant
find sh!t!! They wont even give you a chance, and that blows.
When I filled out my application for enrollment, a week later I was sent back an "acceptance" letter! well no sh!t I got accepted! They would accept a retarded monkey if it waved money in there faces! they dont give a crap! The director Jeff drove a brand new red Corvette!?! bought with money from former students probably!
Anyway look at Snake11's comment helpfuls, 8 of them?? sounds like another fake name to me.

Sounds like you had an in Snake, i've hammered places countrywide to find that the school does not give enough experiance to run vehicles on site. Another problem is the poor student turnouts(these idiots who were promoted through the program and should hve failed) who were lucky enough to get a job, screwed it up through stupidity. I've been to a few interviews where the school was mentioned, and I got blackballed because of a former student who couldn't be bothered to preform basic checks on fluid before running the equipment. I like running equipment myself and would like to continue, but it will be through an apprenticeship program...real training, not a carnival show just looking for money with no substance.

Robert in Connecticut... in Windsor Locks, Connecticut said: Thanks. I appreciate that. I had one more training school I wanted to throw out there. It's called National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools located here:
www.nahets.com/

They teach and certify crane operators. In my state, CT, and Massachusetts, you must be licensed or certified to operate a crane. The starting pay is 75-150 dollars per diem, I was told. The schooling lasts 6 weeks and they tell me you get about 140 hours on the crane. You then have to pass a written and actual crane operation test to get certified.

Every 5 years you must take the written test to become recertified. The school costs 12K plus living arrangements (hotel costs and food). So probably 14 to 15K total. They told me that crane operators there are classes of about 20 people. They also told me that there is 95% job placement as opposed to 60-75% job placement for their Heavy Equipment Operator training.

This sounded pretty good to me. After you complete your 1-3 year on-the-job training, you become a journeyman and can make $38 an hour and more. I've read that some places, like in New York, pay $80 an hour.

I think this might be a better direction for me. Does anyone have an opinion on being a crane operator?

Thanks for reading.

Hey Robert,
Just so you know, NAETS is the corporate name that ATS schools works under. They teach (loosely) HEO, Crane, and Carpentry...they charge just as much for each, and should be avoided like the plague! Do an apprenticeship program through your state, you'll be much better off in the long run.

Thanks for the info Michael.

I was planning to go to the one in Oklahoma City, OK in February or March of 2008. I'm not sure getting certified as a crane operator is such a bad move. I talked to someone who delivered roofing shingles to our house and he said his place of work had a crane but he needed certification to operate it.

I live in CT and near MA where certification is necessary to be a crane operator. I'm not interested in being a HEO at all. BTW, that school told me HEO placement was around 75% and crane operator much higher because of worker shortages in that field probably due to a lot of states going to certification. I think this thread is just drawing a lot of people that had a bad experience or could not be job placed for whatever reason (felon, illegal alien, etc.) I don't really believe most of these people whining and crying about their experiences. If you don't take a chance in life at something you want to do, then you will never attain it.

Have a nice day..
Robert.

Hey Robert,
If you want crane training then GO FOR IT! BUT I would NOT entertain the idea of a 9 week school putting you in the position to get it. Here's and idea, call some of these companies and find out what they require.(call more than one!!!).If possible talk to crane workers who have done this and ask them the same. You may also need a hoisting license, Im pretty sure crane was one of the catagories to be tested.
Mass and Rhode Island require those certs. Don't flush your money away impulsively, or you'll end up being one of those people "who cried about their experiance".
Im out of New Hampshire, lived in Mass most of my life... I took the chance (you talked about) and it blew up in my face. The other seventeen members who atttended (in my class) will say the same. ITT Tech worked for me 24 years ago, been a mechanic ever since, I did this HEO class from ATS and have spent the last 3 months chasing everything down. From the FEW contractors who will talk to me, they say the same, no experiance beyond school, no job! It's that simple. That's the politest way I could say it.
In the end it's your money and time...spend it your way, or listen to some of the advice given on this blog and use it to your advantage..I would like to see some good come of this.
Good Luck,
Michael

Paige, you are really screwed up. Your facts are very wrong!
I went to the Nevada School of Construction. Because of my experience, I have a better job than I've ever had in my life, and I'm very happy. My instructors were the best, I totally respect them. Every person in my class got a job as far as I know. 4 of us were taken before we even graduated. Some of you guys are just sour, for every one of you, I bet there are a hundred more that are happy.
God bless NV School of Construction. Paige, is there some other reason why you are lying to everyone?

SMART MOVE ROBERT! I've heard that there is a company that takes almost every graduate of the Crane program in Oklahoma! The school, won't guarantee it, but talk to some former students and you'll see!

Robert in Windsor Locks, Connecticut said: Thanks for the info Michael.

I was planning to go to the one in Oklahoma City, OK in February or March of 2008. I'm not sure getting certified as a crane operator is such a bad move. I talked to someone who delivered roofing shingles to our house and he said his place of work had a crane but he needed certification to operate it.

I live in CT and near MA where certification is necessary to be a crane operator. I'm not interested in being a HEO at all. BTW, that school told me HEO placement was around 75% and crane operator much higher because of worker shortages in that field probably due to a lot of states going to certification. I think this thread is just drawing a lot of people that had a bad experience or could not be job placed for whatever reason (felon, illegal alien, etc.) I don't really believe most of these people whining and crying about their experiences. If you don't take a chance in life at something you want to do, then you will never attain it.

Have a nice day..
Robert.

Hey guys...

Just an update. Remember when I posted the BBB report? At the same time, I sent a copy of this forum to NSC and asked them to reply with their side of the story.

... STILL WAITING!

:-)

Bill

PAIGE IS LYING!!!!!! I check it out for good. Although he was part of ATS for a time, Matt Klabacka (Founder of NAHETS) does NOT own ATS and they are NOT the same company. NAHETS is a totally credible company and are really changing the entire training industry for the better. They even have a partnership with Volvo Contruction Equipment and other large companies to make training materials. I don't think they'd have industry support if they were illegitimate. Before you say things that aren't true Paige, you need to go look up the legal definition of libel and slander.....

ANNON in North Las Vegas, Nevada said: NAHETS is ATS!!! they changed their name last year on the books!!!!!!! Same school, same brothers

Can you tell us how you checked them out, Oliver?

Thanks..

Paige is not lying. I have not said one BAD thing about the company. Yes they were part of ATS when I was working there. We were making the name change to NAHETS and he had already pulled away from his brothers at ATS. He is trying to change the industry. Show me where I have said one bad thing about them. I do not dislike them. Had I not gotten sick I would most likely hope I would still be with them.

Also ATS Nevada was run by Matt Klabaka before he switched his name to NAHETS. Nevada School of Construction is the name the former ATS-Nevada switched to. They got rid of the ATS name, which his brothers still own and he is no longer a part of. I have not once said anything that is wrong information. NAHETS was ATS but they broke away and are not affiliated with ATS any longer.