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SOFTEC trainer Kyle Gjonnes (foreground) and recent program graduate Isaiah Lindquist work together to load a huge pile of digital ‘dirt’ in an articulating dump truck. 

SOFTEC trainer Kyle Gjonnes (foreground) and recent program graduate Isaiah Lindquist work together to load a huge pile of digital ‘dirt’ in an articulating dump truck. 

The offerings for students through the SOFTEC heavy equipment training program in Siren continue to expand. An open house on Monday, Aug. 1 showcased some of the new equipment and training apparatus the facility offers to train future heavy equipment operators, which now can work in tandem, with two people involved in the same ‘job site’ scenario, but working on different pieces of equipment.

As recent grad student Isaiah Lindquist ran an excavator, he loaded a pile of (digital) dirt onto an articulating dump truck, run by trainer Kyle Gjonnes.

The two-person operation is a cool twist on the program, which offers students of all ages and backgrounds real training on equipment that often costs more than most  homes, without using a drop of fuel or possibly denting, crashing or breaking anything in the real world.

Lindquist and Gjonnes are working together, but they can both follow the computer breakdown of their work, which shows everything and equates all flavors of conditions to the exercise, from bad weather to power lines to overloading and offset loading that makes it hard to steer or drive, and even whether or not you run over or into another person on site.

Of course, the exercises are all digital and nobody really gets hurt, except in their final readout, which can be over a dozen pages in length.

“This even lets us put in fog, snow or high winds,” Gjonnes said as he adjusted the conditions, so he could barely see Lindquists’ loader beside him through the sudden digital snow burst and foggy conditions. 

Lindquist is a recent graduate of the SOFTEC program, but he is still involved as he works to get his commercial drivers’ license (CDL), which will open even more work opportunity doors down the road.  

“There’s tremendous technology to open an exciting career path in heavy equipment for both men and women over 18 years of age,” stated board member Jerry Tischer. “One student was 53 when he graduated!”

The unique equipment demonstration included a two-person training, but also highlighted future plans for the facility, which include expansion of up to 12,000-square-feet, so they can add even more training options, from welding to solar equipment installation to woodworking, CNC design work and other modern manufacturing, industrial and construction work. 

“Our program is affordable (grants available), short term (4-6 weeks), recognized by industry, and almost all students are able to begin their career with employment as they graduate,” Tischer exclaimed, adding later that the program has led to dozens of jobs, careers and new opportunities for workers, and for local industry, which has benefitted from the program and the short turn-around time for potential workers. 

Director Tim D’Jock is also proud of the way the program is expanding, and has high hopes for the facility, which he is hoping they can expand across their 2.5-acre plot on State Road 35 to eventually include some real-world on-site equipment work, beside the 12,000 square-foot addition to the back.

D’Jock is adamant that they can pull it off, once certain grant funding comes through, which they are hoping happens in the coming months.

“We’re working on it!” D‘Jock said, as he poured over the design schematic and basic blueprints, showing dedicated work and makerspaces, as well as room for safe heavy equipment storage and maintenance, as well as room for on-site earthwork for real world training.

The SOFTEC program is also one of the few such training options that allows students to have verifiable data and printouts proving they know what they’re doing, as Gjonnes shows an example of a 16-page breakdown of his previous session, showing loading parameters, accuracy and actions, scoring on loading and driving, fuel used and dozens more piece of information that are useful to a heavy equipment operator or owner who is investing so many thousands of dollars in not just equipment, but employees.

Just for fun, Gjonnes shows what happens when you get careless with the loader.

He purposefully drives into a powerline, and the whole screen goes red.

“And the best part is this way, nobody dies!” he joked, as both his and Lindquists’ screens turn a deep magenta with warnings.   

SOFTEC works with several local and regional training and certification programs, including tribal programs, as well as with community college and other regional educational partnerships, with several local companies heavily involved. 

The program has garnered praise from a number of elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who toured the facility last year and also tried his hand at one of the digital machines. 

Other elected officials have also been impressed, including State Senator Nick Milroy, who also had good words for the training. “This training that should be modeled statewide,” Sen. Milroy said, noting the fast-track program allows people to be employed quickly and with excellent salaries and benefits. 

SOFTEC offers internal networking through various industries and offer certified technical and communications training that allows graduates to be employed immediately.  

For more information, contact SOFTEC at SOFTEC.education@gamil.com or call 715-688-9629.

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