Executive Summary

This comprehensive national strategy addresses the critical shortage of skilled heavy equipment operators in the U.S. construction industry by establishing a sustainable workforce development pipeline. Led by a strategic partnership between the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), Purple Wave Auction, and the Caillouet Foundation Inc. (under the direction of Donald Ray Callaway), the initiative creates a recruitment and training funnel starting in public high schools (grades 9–12), builds early awareness through community events, and transitions participants into certified careers.

The strategy prioritizes NUCA’s 22-chapter states for initial rollout, with rapid expansion to all states served by Purple Wave’s nationwide auction platform. A flagship component is the integration and scaling of Digger Days events—hands-on experiences where youth and students operate heavy equipment under supervision—to spark interest and recruit talent.

This collaborative approach leverages NUCA’s industry network, Purple Wave’s equipment access and visibility, and Caillouet Foundation’s NCCER expertise and sponsorship model to deliver measurable results: increased enrollment in construction pathways, higher certification rates, and direct placement into jobs.

Strategic Objectives

1. Develop a Workforce Development Funnel — Create a structured pipeline to attract, train, certify, and recruit heavy equipment operators into the construction industry.
2. Build a Strong Tri-Party Relationship — Establish formal working relationships between NUCA, Purple Wave, and Caillouet Foundation Inc./Donald Ray Callaway for coordinated program delivery, resource sharing, and funding.
3. Implement High School Training Programs — Integrate heavy equipment operation training into grades 9–12 construction career pathways in public schools, capturing market share of future operators through CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs.

Key Partners and Roles

• National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) → Provides industry expertise, chapter networks in 22 states, member contractors for apprenticeships/placements, and advocacy for excavation safety and workforce issues.
• Purple Wave Auction → Supplies access to heavy equipment (via auctions, donations, or loans), promotional reach through its nationwide platform, and sponsorship for events and training simulators.
• Caillouet Foundation Inc./Donald Ray Callaway → Acts as NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor (at no or litle cost to schools), provides master trainer expertise, curriculum development, and funding support for program startup and sustainability.This will require funding support from the Construction Industry to sustain the program funding at no or littrle cost to public School Districts. The Foundation is a 501(c)3 and provides an opportunity to have a direct impact on recritment and training of Heavy Equipment Operators.

Geographic Scope

• Phase 1 Priority States — NUCA’s 22 active chapter states with strong utility construction demand.
• National Expansion — All 50 states via Purple Wave’s nationwide operations, with virtual components (e.g., online auctions for equipment access) and regional event scaling.

Core Strategy Components

1. Formal Partnership Development

• Secure funding through Caillouet Foundation grants, NUCA chapter contributions, and Purple Wave sponsorships.
• Align with existing NCCER frameworks for seamless certification.

2. Workforce Development Funnel

A multi-stage pipeline to move participants from awareness to employment:

Stage	Target Audience	Activities	Partner Lead	Metrics
Awareness	Grades 6–9, community youth	Digger Days events, school assemblies, career fairs	Purple Wave & NUCA Chapters	Events, Participants
Interest	Grades 9–10 Pre-Apprenticeship	Intro to Construction CTE modules, equipment demos, guest speakers In classroom/Project training. (Core – Pathway focus, Carpentry, HVAC, Plumbing, Welding, Roofing, Concrete, etc.) – and Heavy Equipment Training. Equipment training can be integrated into any CTE trade pathway. Heave equipment crosses all trade specialties on the Construction Job Site. This approach will give maximum exposure and recruitment potential in Public Schools Systems. We need Heavy Equipment Operators Now so in my opinion it is easier to use the 4 most common pieces of equipment used in the Construction Industry to identify and recruit new heavy equipment operators. We benefit in two ways. One, we inspire more construction workers into the workforce and two, we have a larger selection of construction workers to recruit into the Heavy Equipment Operators sector right out of the Public High School Construction Pathways which already exist in all 50 States. If you want to hear the rest of the story, please contact me. Donald R Callawy, email: donaldrcallaway@icloud.com	Caillouet Foundation (NCCER)	# Students Enrolled
Training	Grades 11–12 Pre-Apprenticeship	Hands-on training, NCCER (Core + NCCER Pathway Focus + NCCER Modules for Heavy Equipment) Pre-Apprenticeship program emphasizes: Skid Loader, Rough-Terrain Forklift, Scissor Lift, and Backhoe. Takeaway for students, Pocket Cards are good for three years and meet OHSA requirements to operate each equipment type on a construction job site. NUCA will provide the NCCER Performance Evaluation which will give NUCA members a chance to identify, evaluate and recruit new Heavy Equipment Operators into members companies. It also identifies qualified candidates for the NUCA Apprenticeship Program for Career Heavey Equipment Operators. State Approved: Work Based Internship Program. Student is employed with a Construction related business to get on-the-job work experience. Usually this is in the Students Senior Year in High School.	Caillouet Foundation (NCCER)	# Certifications Earned
Recruitment	Graduates & young adults	Apprenticeships, job placement via NUCA members, Purple Wave buyer network	NUCA	# Placements, Retention Rate
Retention	Entry-level operators	Ongoing training, NUCA mentorship programs	All Partners	1-Year Retention Rate

3. High School Training Strategy (Grades 9–12)

• Integration into Public Schools — Partner with Craft Instructors at the Public-School level to integrate training on skid loaders, Rough-Terrain Forklift, Scissor Lift and Backhoe into the Construction Career Pathways within CTE programs.
• Curriculum Design — Use NCCER’s proven Heavy Equipment Operator curriculum , sponsored by Caillouet Foundation for schools. Include:
  • Grade 9–10: Introductory modules (Core, Carpentry 1, Carpentry 2 along with training modules covering skid loaders, Rough-Terrain Forklift, Scissor Lift, and Backhoe).
  • Grade 11–12: Advanced hands-on training using live equipment on skid loaders, Rough-Terrain Forklifts, Scissor Lift and Backhoe.
• Equipment Access — Purple Wave provides discounted or donated and retired equipment; NUCA chapters coordinate local contractor support for field experiences and provid NCCER Performance Evaluations for Student when available.
• Recruitment Focus — Target 20–30% market share of CTE construction pathway graduates into heavy equipment roles through targeted outreach, scholarships, and guaranteed interview programs with NUCA members.
• Scale Goal — Launch in 50 high schools across NUCA’s 22 states in Year 1, expanding to 200+ schools nationally by Year 3.

4. Incorporation of Digger Days Events

Digger Days are proven, high-impact community and school events where participants (especially youth and high school students) safely operate heavy construction equipment under professional supervision. Modeled after successful events in Montana and elsewhere, these serve as the primary awareness tool.

• Role in Strategy — Position Digger Days as the entry point of the workforce funnel to generate excitement and early interest in heavy equipment careers.
• Event Structure:
  • Annual or biannual events are hosted at schools, fairgrounds, or NUCA member sites.
  • Features: Equipment operation stations (excavators, loaders, dozers), simulators, safety demonstrations, and career booths.
  • Targeted sessions: Morning for younger students/community, afternoon for high school CTE groups.
  • Ticketed fundraiser model (e.g., $10–20 entry) with proceeds supporting Caillouet Foundation training sponsorships.
• Scaling Plan:
  • Year 1: Pilot 10–15 events in priority NUCA states (starting in Kansas).
  • Year 2–3: Expand to 50+ events nationwide, coordinated by local NUCA chapters with Purple Wave equipment logistics.
  • Promotion: Leverage Purple Wave’s online platform and NUCA’s network for national visibility.
• Impact — Events directly feed into high school programs by identifying interested students and providing follow-up recruitment.

Implementation Timeline

• Months 1–6: Engage with Craft Instructors in schools that are interested in providing equipment training for their students
• Months 7–12: Enroll School District who are ready to take advantage of equipment training in the 2026-2027 school year.
• Year 2: Expand to all 22 NUCA states, targeting the 2027-2028 school year
• Year 3+: Full national engagement; sustain through ongoing funding and partnerships.

Funding and Sustainability

• Secure funding via Caillouet Foundation to support each school sponsored. Including: NCCER training books, providing heavy equipment for students to train on, Providing online NCCER training models for Heavy Equipment Providing and Network of NUCA member willing to provide Heavy Equipment NCCER Performance Evaluations for students.
• Promote attendance to event revenue from Digger Days.
• Sponsorships from Purple Wave and NUCA members.
• Grants and Support funding for Caillouet Foundation to support School training supplies and access to Heavy Equipment
• Long-term: Self-sustaining through placement fees or industry contributions.

Measurement and Evaluation

• Annual reporting on:
  • Number of Digger Days events and participants.
  • High school enrollments and NCCER certifications.
  • Job placements and 1-year retention.
  • ROI: Cost per trained/recruited operator.
• Adjust strategy based on data, with NUCA State Chapter Directors and membership input. This will be evaluated and adjusted on a  State by State bases.