Over 75 family members attended the first annual Heavy Equipment Operations (HEO) Family Day event hosted on Thursday, September 10, 2009.

HEO Family Day is an opportunity for families to visit campus and get a glimpse of what their students have been learning over the last couple of months.  Parents attend classes, interact with instructors and observe their son or daughter in action.

“It was great to see the students excited about showing their families what they have learned so far,” commented Becca Mehmert, Admissions Counselor.  “Several parents were thrilled to watch their children operate equipment.”

The HEO program is a certificate program that starts in June.  In just 11 months, students earn more than 1,300 hours of instruction, prepare for the commercial driver’s license exam and are trained on dozers, scrapers, wheel loaders, high lifts, backhoes, excavators, graders and skid steers.  Students move and mold dirt while learning about safety and heavy equipment operations on the 125-acre operation site.

“The interest and excitement from parents was overwhelming, they spent two to three hours at the operation site watching their student operate the equipment,” commented Kevin Spurgeon, HEO Department Chair.  “We have only received positive feedback.  One parent said they were glad their son found LSTC.”