For high school graduates who are searching for a career to specialize on, the Labor Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz, recommends pursuing a career in Heavy Equipment Operations because it is currently an in-demand but hard to fill job. Aside from high school graduates, Baldoz also recommends career change as heavy equipment operator to jobseekers that are having hard time landing a job based in their current profession or skill.

The advice from the Labor Secretary is based on the report from the Project Jobsfit: DOLE 2020 Vision a labor market signaling study that emphasize occupations which are in-demand, but hard-to-fill. The study also reveals the industries or fields with the highest potential of employing the most number of workers in the next five to ten years.

The Project Jobsfit is also the basis of the DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment in developing the 101 Career Guides. The 101 career guides aims to provide brief but substantial information on the occupations that are listed in the Project Jobsfit. Through the information it provides such as job description, salary, educational requirements & skills competencies, the Career Guides is able to help jobseekers make intelligent career moves.

Heavy Equipment Operator/Mechanic is one of the jobs that are identified in the Project Jobsfit. According to DOLE’s Career Guide, there is no specific educational requirement for this job but employers prefer high school graduates with specialized training in heavy equipment operation and maintenance.

According to the Labor Secretary, many industries would require the services of heavy equipment operators but they would mostly be employed on a construction site or in a mining area.

Baldoz said, “They can dredge waterways and canals, work on paving projects, excavate rocks, load and unload cargo, or be in major assembly lines for massive items.”

“Typical employers of heavy equipment operators are municipal governments, heavy construction firms, manufacturers of primary steel products, mining companies, logging companies, construction site maintenance firms, and quarry companies,” she added.

To become a heavy equipment operator, one will need to train for at least three (3) months and the training will cost approximately from P7,000 to P10,000. In some cases, the training is conducted in-house or as part of an on-the-job training.

See the Job profile of a Heavy Equipment Mechanic

Overseas Job Opportunities for Heavy Equipment Operators