Let’s say a few nice things about the employment opportunities here in Michigan. There are employers looking for workers right now. In fact, they wish you were working for them instead of waiting to get laid off by your current company. Who are these employers? They are the folks with construction jobs. Michigan has many construction jobs that need filled.
Now, you may be wondering how that can be possible, given everything you hear about in the news. Yes, the big boys from Detroit have been down begging for money. Yes, the power goes out when it storms in the winter. But look on the bright side—all those lines that are down need repaired, and that means construction jobs. Michigan winters are hard on roads too—more construction jobs!
Day labor is one option. But there is a better way to get construction jobs. Michigan Heavy Equipment Training (MIHET) is a school that offers you the chance to get certified as a heavy equipment operator. They have three week courses that include 120 hours of hands-on instruction on the big four: Loaders, Dozers, Backhoes and Excavators. You’ll learn by doing and come out of the class ready to work.
As an added bonus, training to be a heavy equipment operator will have you in front of the coming employment boom. Yes, boom! During the last Great Recession, public works projects were a major part of the economy in every state. We’ve established that we are in a recession. The incoming President has indicated that public works projects will be a major part of his stimulus plan. That means construction jobs Michigan-wide, putting in new roads, fixing bridges, and repairing our crumbling bridges.
But don’t think that the training and experience you gain from a MIHET course will be useless once the government stops spending on construction jobs. Michigan has many private companies willing to pay heavy equipment operators good wages with benefits, even in tough times. Not just anyone can get behind the wheel of an excavator and get the job done safely and efficiently. Your new skills will be in demand, and employers will want to talk with you.
This is going to be a critical difference maker for you in the months and years ahead. With the automakers being in the shape they are and the credit crunch dumping folks out into the job market right and left, it isn’t going to be enough to simply be willing and able to work. You are going to need skills to get construction jobs. Michigan employers will be able to pick and choose, and if you have training, they will be choosing you over a raw recruit. Enthusiasm is no substitute for experience.
So why chance it? Between the Obama stimulus package and the natural demand from businesses, there are so many opportunities for you to get work doing construction jobs. Michigan as a state may be facing some tough times, but you as an individual don’t have to go through any tough times when you have the skills and abilities employers want. Train yourself to be a heavy equipment operator so you can relax with a steady paycheck to get you through 2009.
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