A heavy equipment “sandbox” for high school students officially opened last week next to Local 49’s Union Hall in West Fargo, thanks to a partnership of Cass County CTE Center (C3TEC), the Career Innovation Center at NDSCS, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 and North Dakota’s Building Trades Unions.
The sandbox serves students in the C3TEC Heavy Equipment Operations (HEO) Pathway. Students in grades 10-12 who enroll in the program earn both high school credit and apprenticeship credit, while exploring the field of heavy equipment operation and maintenance.
Partners have donated more than $350,000 in equipment, materials and labor for the sandbox, which provides a controlled environment to safely teach operating skills and prepare students for a career in the skilled trades. The sandbox is located on land donated by Local 49 next to its West Fargo union hall.
Other industry partners include Ames Construction, Borsheim Crane Service, Butler Cat, Midwest Seeding, Northern Improvement Co., Park Construction Co. and Veit.
