Amador County – A major training facility for heavy equipment operators is currently seeking approval from the Amador County Unified School District to move its 120-acre operation from its current location near Rancho Murieta to Ione - a move that could add as many as 47 jobs and enhance educational services in Amador County. For over 30 years, Operating Engineers Local No. 3 has trained operating engineers to do the specialized work required to operate all types of heavy equipment, from cranes to pile drivers to concrete pumpers. As part of its apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor, the union must align with an LEA, or Local Educational Agency, in order to receive state-administered instructional funding. The union’s longtime relationship with Sacramento County is coming to a close for unspecified reasons, spurring the proposed move to Amador County. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said Chris Morgan, Executive Director of the campus. Morgan stressed that nothing is set in stone and what they have so far is a tentative agreement. “I’ve been driving by that area for 36 years, and up until recently I had no idea it existed,” said Karl Knobelauch, Amador County Unified School District board president. He estimates the move could provide local education with an additional $300,000 or more per year. He said it could also mean the union will sponsor and teach preparatory courses in Amador County that are free to those who qualify. “It would be a tremendous opportunity for our students to have that as an option,” said Knobelauch. He recently toured the campus with Superintendent Dick Glock and District 1 Supervisor John Plasse. The three men spent a day there, which included a look at classrooms, administration offices, residential facility and 3-D equipment simulators. Knobelauch said he was able to lift a boulder using a crane simulator- not an easy feat. “Needless to say, it’s quite an impressive operation,” he said. He said Plasse currently has children enrolled at the facility and he personally knows families with members who have graduated from the program. The union’s long-range plan is to move everything, but that is pending approval from the ACUSD. Knobelauch said the union’s current LEA affiliation is set to expire on June 30th. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010 06:02
Major Construction Union Training Facility Negotiating Local Move
Written by Tom-
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Amador County – A major training facility for heavy equipment operators is currently seeking approval from the Amador County Unified School District to move its 120-acre operation from its current location near Rancho Murieta to Ione - a move that could add as many as 47 jobs and enhance educational services in Amador County. For over 30 years, Operating Engineers Local No. 3 has trained operating engineers to do the specialized work required to operate all types of heavy equipment, from cranes to pile drivers to concrete pumpers. As part of its apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor, the union must align with an LEA, or Local Educational Agency, in order to receive state-administered instructional funding. The union’s longtime relationship with Sacramento County is coming to a close for unspecified reasons, spurring the proposed move to Amador County. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said Chris Morgan, Executive Director of the campus. Morgan stressed that nothing is set in stone and what they have so far is a tentative agreement. “I’ve been driving by that area for 36 years, and up until recently I had no idea it existed,” said Karl Knobelauch, Amador County Unified School District board president. He estimates the move could provide local education with an additional $300,000 or more per year. He said it could also mean the union will sponsor and teach preparatory courses in Amador County that are free to those who qualify. “It would be a tremendous opportunity for our students to have that as an option,” said Knobelauch. He recently toured the campus with Superintendent Dick Glock and District 1 Supervisor John Plasse. The three men spent a day there, which included a look at classrooms, administration offices, residential facility and 3-D equipment simulators. Knobelauch said he was able to lift a boulder using a crane simulator- not an easy feat. “Needless to say, it’s quite an impressive operation,” he said. He said Plasse currently has children enrolled at the facility and he personally knows families with members who have graduated from the program. The union’s long-range plan is to move everything, but that is pending approval from the ACUSD. Knobelauch said the union’s current LEA affiliation is set to expire on June 30th. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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