Florida-based Flagler Schools instructors showcased the district’s heavy equipment simulator late last month, part of a program to encourage students to consider a career as an operator. In an effort to inform the public of this program, officials invited visitors to take turns operating a virtual backhoe, trying to put buckets of dirt in the back of a dump truck.
“Part of the idea and why we have it on wheels is so we can move it around and take it different places and get the next generation interested,” Renee Stauffacher, FTI director, told News Journal Online.
Stauffacher also said the simulator provides students with the opportunity to become familiar with equipment controls in a safe environment.
According to the article, school officials are already looking into ways to raise money to purchase software for additional heavy equipment. In addition, nine students have already been doing actual heavy equipment work on the grounds of the Florida Agricultural Museum in northern Flagler County.
With construction and development a big part of the Flagler County’s economy, Stauffacher said there is a huge demand for trained heavy equipment operators.
Source: News Journal Online
