Ian Russell at KARE-TV 11 reports from Minnesota that St. Paul Public School (SPPS) students are learning about heavy machinery, including how to operate it. The School District is working on making the sandbox inside the classroom much larger, including training students on how to operate the real-world counterparts of their remote-controlled versions. This collaborative project with International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49 provides students with hands-on experience and seat time they need to work toward applying for an Apprenticeship. Akeethia Lloyd, a Crane Operator and a Career Navigator with Local 49, said: "We are a vital resource when it comes to our infrastructure and we definitely need to keep that growing. For it to be free, for them to be able to learn about all the opportunities in construction, heavy equipment operations, down to the equipment fundamentals and basic equipment maintenance - just the (Construction) Industry overall. They also receive high school elective credit, articulated college credit, as well as Apprenticeship credit, leading them into the Apprenticeship Program. I mean, I wish I had something like that in high school, to be honest with you."

For More On This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Story, Go To: SPPS students learning heavy machinery operation with hands-on partnership | kare11.com