Underground Mining Loading Machine Operators

• Inspect locomotives or other railroad equipment.
• Maintain material moving equipment in good working condition.
• Operate conveyors or other industrial material moving equipment.
• Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
• Operate excavation equipment.
• Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement.
• Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
• Calculate weights, volumes or other characteristics of materials.
• Clean machinery or equipment.
• Move materials, equipment, or supplies.

• Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
• 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.
• Working in an open vehicle or equipment.
• Exposure to hazardous conditions.
• Working with a group or team.
• Having face-to-face discussions.
• The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
• Responsibility for others' health and safety.
• Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
• A work pace that is determined by the speed of equipment.

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.
• 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.
• Troubleshooting—Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• 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.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Controlling Quality—Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Production and Processing—Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Design—Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Geography—Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

• 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.
• Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

• Riggers
• Excavating and Loading Machine Operators
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Mine Cutting Machine Operators
• Dredge Operators
• Mine Shuttle Car Operators
• Pile-Driver Operators
• Refractory Materials Repairers
• Mining Roof Bolters
• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Operators

• Mining (except Oil and Gas)

• Riggers
• Excavating and Loading Machine Operators
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Mine Cutting Machine Operators
• Dredge Operators
• Mine Shuttle Car Operators
• Pile-Driver Operators
• Refractory Materials Repairers
• Mining Roof Bolters
• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Operators