Excavating and Loading Machine Operators

• Operate excavation equipment.
• Inspect material-moving equipment to detect problems.
• Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
• Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
• Clean facilities or work areas.
• Move materials, equipment, or supplies.
• Shovel materials.
• Maintain material moving equipment in good working condition.
• Measure product or material dimensions.
• Verify information or specifications.

• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Working with a group or team.
• Exposure to whole body vibration.
• Frequent decision-making.
• Working outdoors exposed to weather.
• Exposure to hazardous equipment.
• Responsibility for others' health and safety.
• The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
• A work pace that is determined by the speed of equipment.

• Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation

• Ground Transportation
• Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services

Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges, technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota, and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.

If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:

• Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
• Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
• Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.

Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.

• Visit Transferology to see if your courses will transfer.
• Search Articulation Agreements to find formal transfer agreements between schools.

• Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Maintaining Equipment—Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Repairing—Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Troubleshooting—Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

• Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Building and Construction—Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Design—Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Engineering and Technology—Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Dredge Operators
• Pile-Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Pipelayers
• Fence Erectors
• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
• Crane and Tower Operators

• Mining (except Oil and Gas)
• Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
• Specialty Trade Contractors
• Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
• Waste Management and Remediation Service

• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Dredge Operators
• Pile-Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Pipelayers
• Fence Erectors
• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
• Crane and Tower Operators