To begin this journey, we created a selection committee to develop an application process to select applicants to join our academy. The program consists of intense, hands-on training with participants working in classrooms, in virtual reality labs using simulators, and in the field running equipment and training alongside BTI’s most experienced instructors. As the training concludes, participants will demonstrate their newly acquired skills to actual California contractors during our heavy equipment land lab.

Participants will earn multiple industry recognized certifications. BTI will host the HEO training using many different types of heavy machinery operated being used in today’s highway construction industry. Certifications include concrete and asphalt skills training, forklift operation, various safety certifications, such as OSHA-10 Hour, HAZMAT First Responder, first aid – CPR, traffic control & flagger certifications, as well as other industry recognized training elements. Participants will gain skills in trenching and shoring safety, land grade basics, construction math, blueprint reading, career readiness, personal wellness, and spend time at construction sites observing best trades and safety practices.

“Our entire team is honored to be part of such an amazing project,” says Doug Dalton, President of BTI. “This program exemplifies what can be accomplished with an innovative approach to collaboration between agencies, trainers, and contractor groups. Programs like this can put participants’ lives on a new trajectory and will swing them into a respected career field while helping to build a much-needed pipeline of trained workers for employers who desperately need them.”

“This training could not come at a better time as California continues to make major progress to rebuild, revitalize, and reimagine our infrastructure to support a cleaner, safer, and more equitable transportation system, where access to skilled workers will be critical especially if it will be successful and sustainable, ” says Associate Director of the Caltrans Office of Civil Rights, David DeLuz and adds, “We strive to provide this program opportunity to traditionally underrepresented groups that have historically not had access to quality training like this to build a stronger diverse workforce.”