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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2020)
10 DECEMBER 15, 2020 Smoke Signals Heavy duty TERO participants learn how to operate equipment By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer ALBANY — Grand Ronde’s Trib- al Employment Rights Office offers a program that helps interested Tribal members and other Native people train as heavy equipment operators, jobs that pay approxi- mately $40 an hour to start. The program is open to anyone 18 and older who has an interest in working in the construction field. On Monday, Dec. 7, four students began their equipment training in the field at the Knife River Holmes Rock Pin in Albany. It was a cold, foggy morning, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the participants. Successful program participants earn level one certification, which makes them more employable while they work on various projects. “They’re not getting a job running an excavator right off the bat, but have the opportunity to do so once they get in more time with an em- ployer,” TERO Compliance Officer Duke Kimsey said. It’s the third time TERO has of- fered the training in Grand Ronde. Last year, four of the six people who completed the course obtained jobs working on the equipment. “This training has worked out re- ally well and we will continue to of- fer it,” Kimsey said. “The toughest part for me is getting the word out and recruiting Tribal members.” TERO was formed in 2014 to pro- vide quality services for the Grand Ronde Reservation and surround- ing region to employ Native people. It achieves this through increasing and enhancing employment oppor- tunities, and promoting Tribal and Native preference in contracting and subcontracting. The onsite heavy equipment operator training began in 2018 after Kimsey learned of a similar program offered by the Umatilla Tribe in eastern Oregon. The sim- ulator training takes place in a portable classroom on the Tribal campus. The Tribe partners with Baker Technical Institute to offer the training, designed for beginners or experienced operators who want to train on graders, bulldozers, excavators and wheel loaders. Par- ticipants spend 15 days learning on high-tech CAT simulators before testing their skills on real equip- ment for five days. “The training gets progressively more difficult each day in the field,” Kimsey said. “By the end, we have them picking up a bowling ball and placing it on a PVC pipe.” Kimsey works with hundreds of contractors and sends out regular reports, so he sees where construc- tion crews are lacking in terms of employees. Heavy equipment oper- ation is one such area. “Knowing how to operate heavy Tribal member and TERO trainee Dennis Knight Jr. operates a mini-excavator during the Baker Technical Institute live heavy equipment training at the Knife River Holmes Rock Pin in Albany on Monday, Dec. 7. Trainees got their hands on the real deal after spending time on computer simulators on the Tribal campus. Tribal member and TERO trainee Lisa Leno smiles after getting behind the wheel of a front-end wheel loader during the Baker Technical Institute live heavy equipment training at the Knife River Holmes Rock Pin in Albany. but that has been put on hold due to COVID,” Kimsey said. “When the program begins, it will be very help- ful to TERO with post high school training. This can be a great career for people and an opportunity to earn really good money.” Kimsey, who is anticipating TERO working on 18 different construction projects in 2021, said that having qualified Tribal mem- bers ready to go is a huge bonus for the program. “We can dispatch people out right away and help them build up their careers,” he said. “We’ve had up to 116 Tribal mem- bers out working on different con- struction projects and this training gives them more marketable skills.” Tribal member Lisa Leno was all smiles after spend- ing time operating the loader. “I like it,” Leno said. “It’s fun and I think it’s the best part of the train- Baker Technical Institute instructor Brody Charpilloz ing. Using the sim- gives instructions to TERO trainees during a live heavy ulator helped me get the foundation equipment training. equipment is a good tool for them to have in their belt in order to move up to a higher position,” he said. Baker Technical Institute is based in Baker City and offers stu- dents the training needed to learn job skills such as welding, engineer- ing, nursing and construction. Kimsey said he is hoping to ex- tend the program to begin in high school so that Native students who do not pursue college degrees will still be able to earn a living wage. “The Willamina School District got a grant which will allow for trainings at the high school level, of how to operate it. I felt pretty confident I could do this after us- ing it.” Leno said she enjoys being out- doors and has worked as a land- scaper, in construction, as a flagger and operated a forklift. “I’m just trying to extend my knowledge with this training,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to handle sitting all day working in an of- fice. I’d much rather be outdoors. This is awesome. I would highly recommend the training to anyone who wants to learn new skills and enjoys working outdoors.” Tribal member Dennis Knight Jr. said he was interested in the train- ing to better himself, community and Tribe. “It would also be nice to make more money,” he said. “I have past experience in construction, but not equipment except for a forklift.” Knight said the 80 hours of sim- ulator training helped prepare him for the live experience using an excavator. “If we were to jump in without that experience, it would be inter- esting,” he said. “The simulators prepared me to be ready to under- stand. I recommend this class to anyone trying to better themselves. With this training, you can get a job anywhere. I hope our youth can also benefit from this training and learn about the options out there. It’s pretty awesome.” For more information on heavy equipment operator training, con- tact Kimsey at duke.kimsey@gran- dronde.org or at 503-879-2139.