In This Issue
- Developing Safer Operators Begins with Cat® Simulators Systems
- Empower College Builds on HEO Program Using Collaborative Worksite Training™
- Keep Safe While Paving
- Finning Canada: Transforming Heavy Equipment Operator Training
Developing Safer Operators Begins with Cat® Simulators Systems
As safety expectations rise and experienced operators retire, simulation-based training has become a critical first step in building a safer, more capable workforce. Cat® Simulators provide trainees with a controlled environment to learn foundational skills, practice complex techniques, and build confidence long before they ever step into a machine.
Companies and training institutions worldwide are using simulation to reduce incidents, reinforce best practices, and create consistent training standards.
McConnell Dowell’s Group Technical Manager David Leonard explained, “We want to make sure our people are safe, and simulation helps us do that by letting them experience hazards before they encounter them on the job.”
Leonard’s perspective reflects a growing industry shift toward proactive, scenario-based safety training. Safety training no longer begins on the jobsite—it begins in a risk free environment where operators can make mistakes, correct them and improve.
Learn how Cat Simulators systems are helping organizations develop operators who are not only safer but also better prepared for the demands of today’s worksites.
Empower College & Career Center Builds Georgia’s Heavy Equipment Operator Pathway Program Using Cat® Simulators and Collaborative Worksite Training™
Students in the Empower College & Career Center’s Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) pathway in Jefferson, Ga., are gaining real-world skills through hands-on training with Cat® Simulators systems. Launched in 2022 as one of the state’s first dedicated HEO pathways, the program is redefining high school career education by giving students a realistic, simulation-driven experience that mirrors today’s jobsites.
To strengthen teamwork and jobsite readiness, Empower recently expanded its training environment with the Cat Simulators Collaborative Worksite Training™ package—allowing students to practice working together in a coordinated, simulated worksite.
CTAE Director and Empower Assistant Administrator Todd Shultz says the pathway was intentionally designed to meet the region’s workforce needs. As careers in heavy equipment remain in high demand, Empower built its academy pathways to align with high-skill, high-wage opportunities. “We built our programs to align with the careers our students can step into, offering strong earning potential and long-term opportunity,” shared Shultz.
Matthew Newbold, Empower’s Heavy Equipment Operations instructor, explained that the Collaborative Worksite Training (CWT) environment has further elevated the program. “The Collaborative Worksite Training brought a whole new atmosphere to our classroom,” said Newbold, emphasizing that the collaborative scenarios help students understand how actual crews coordinate and work together.
“The students learn to rake the green or complete whatever the task is, but there is nothing quite like having the person sitting next to you be the truck you are working with,” he said. “I put them through all sorts of scenarios. I will say, ‘We are going to have two dozers and two excavators, and we are going to trench and dig a pit.’”
Contact us to schedule a demo of the Collaborative Worksite Training package.
Keeping Paving Operators Safe Infographic
Keeping paving crews safe requires rigorous, site-wide safety protocols. Work zones are among the most hazardous environments in road construction, with rapidly changing conditions that expose operators and laborers to constant risk. Since 2020, more than 400 construction workers have died in these settings. Protecting crews depends on disciplined daily practices, including the following safety tips included in this infographic.
- Maintain equipment to help prevent breakdown related hazards that can endanger operators and nearby workers.
- Follow state specific traffic and regulatory requirements—signage, speed limits, flagging procedures, and night work rules—to keep crews and motorists safe.
- Conduct daily housekeeping, including cleaning operator decks and walking surfaces, to reduce slips, trips and falls.
- Train crews on fire suppression readiness and emergency response to prepare crews to react quickly to hydraulic or equipment related fires.
- Equip all workers and vehicles with industrial grade radios to keep teams coordinated in fast moving work zones.
- Train operators using the Cat® Simulators VR Paving system to build safety awareness in a controlled setting, allowing them to practice hazard recognition and safer paving techniques before working in actual work zones.
Download and share our free infographic to help workers recognize and handle these hazards, ensuring their safety and that of others on the jobsite.
Finning Canada Shares the Benefits of Using Cat® Simulators to Help Build the Canadian Equipment Operator Pipeline
Finning Canada is helping meet the growing demand for skilled heavy equipment operators by supporting its customers in integrating Cat® Simulators into training programs across the construction, mining and forestry industries. The Finning Canada team works closely with organizations such as Keyano College, which trains students entering the workforce for the first time, and IUOE Local 955, which supports both new and experienced operators seeking to refine their skills.
Product Manager Geoff Schneider notes that simulation is a natural step forward as the industry evolves, giving operators a safer, more efficient way to learn. Product Application Specialist Steve Kean adds that customers rely on simulation to strengthen their training pipelines, identify skill gaps, evaluate operators consistently, and help them break bad habits before they reach the jobsite. Together, their insights highlight how Cat® Simulators support safer, more capable construction, mining and forestry operators.
