Heavy Equipment Operator
Prepare for an exciting, demanding career operating large construction machines. Our reputation in this field and the hands-on experience you will obtain will help you to stand out from the crowd.
Program Information
Start Date
March 30, 2026
Domestic Availability
Waitlisted
International Availability
Not Available
CIP Code
49.0202
Program Code
HEO
Delivery
Hybrid
Credential
Ontario College Certificate
Academic School
Location
Program Contact
Domestic Tuition
per semester*
Apply Now
Canadian StudentsView Curriculum
June 29, 2026
Domestic Availability
Accepting Applications
International Availability
Closed
CIP Code
49.0202
Program Code
HEO
Delivery
Hybrid
Credential
Ontario College Certificate
Academic School
Location
Program Contact
Domestic Tuition
per semester*
International Tuition
per semester*
Apply Now
Canadian StudentsView Curriculum
September 28, 2026
Domestic Availability
Waitlisted
International Availability
Closed
CIP Code
49.0202
Program Code
HEO
Delivery
Hybrid
Credential
Ontario College Certificate
Academic School
Location
Program Contact
Domestic Tuition
per semester*
International Tuition
per semester*
*Domestic tuition amounts shown are from the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
*International tuition amounts shown are from the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
Apply Now
Canadian StudentsView Curriculum
April 05, 2027
Domestic Availability
Accepting Applications
International Availability
Closed
CIP Code
49.0202
Program Code
HEO
Delivery
Hybrid
Credential
Ontario College Certificate
Academic School
Location
Program Contact
Domestic Tuition
per semester*
International Tuition
per semester*
*Domestic tuition amounts shown are from the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
*International tuition amounts shown are from the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
Apply Now
Canadian StudentsView Curriculum
July 05, 2027
Domestic Availability
Accepting Applications
International Availability
Closed
CIP Code
49.0202
Program Code
HEO
Delivery
Hybrid
Credential
Ontario College Certificate
Academic School
Location
Program Contact
Domestic Tuition
per semester*
International Tuition
per semester*
*Domestic tuition amounts shown are from the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
*International tuition amounts shown are from the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
Apply Now
Canadian StudentsView Curriculum
In this 12-week program you will learn about the operation and preventative maintenance of heavy construction equipment. This program is all about hands-on learning. You'll develop the skills you need using bulldozers, rubber-tired loaders, tractor loader backhoes, hydraulic excavators, rock trucks, skid steers and various other construction site equipment. What you will learn in the classroom will focus on the essentials to help you master your operating skills. Courses include personal, work site and equipment safety, earthmoving technology, equipment maintenance, and heavy equipment operating techniques.
Funding to train your employees may be available through the Canada-Ontario Job Grant. Train your employees at one-third of the cost.
I grew up around heavy equipment and I've always been interested in it. My Dad is in the construction business and he suggested I take the program. I'm glad I did. I learned a lot and the focus on worksite and equipment safety really made me aware of how important it is to work safely. When I graduated, I was hired by Fleming College to work in the program in a support role, doing simulator training and assisting with field operations.
Evan Fudge, a program graduate from Cambray (City of Kawartha Lakes), Ontario.
You'll want to choose Fleming for this program because of our strong ties to the industry - and dedicated corporate partners.
- We're sponsored by the Canadian Association of Equipment Distributors (CAED), Ontario Chapter - with its 200 member companies who sell, service, and use heavy equipment.
- We are known for our up-to-date equipment, quality programs, evaluation to meet industry training standards, and skilled, knowledgeable instructors.
- We provide tutoring and counselling services for students with accommodations as well as financial aid assistance.
Meet Our Faculty
If you want to operate heavy equipment - and have a responsible, safety-conscious attitude you're on the right track. Attributes required to be an operator include:
- Good physical condition.
- A high degree of physical coordination, full range of body motion.
- Correctable hearing and vision to an acceptable range.
- Manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand and foot coordination.
- Mechanical aptitude.
- Communication skills.
- Computer skills.
- Problem-solving ability.
- Self-discipline; ability to work independently.
- Willingness/ability to work as part of a team.
- Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time.
Operating heavy equipment requires a high level of attention and presence of mind. Due to the highly safety-sensitive environment our students are in, and to ensure the safety of all members of the program, anyone found to be under the influence of a drug, prescription or otherwise, that precludes them from operating or interferes with their ability to operate heavy equipment safely, may be permanently removed from the program after review of the incident by the Program Coordinator and the Academic Chair.
When you've completed this program, you'll be able to work in a range of sectors, including:
- Construction work sites
- Civil constuction
- Mining
- Road building/construction
- Quarries
- Railways
- Agriculture
- Waste management
- Municipalities
Hourly wages start at the mid to high $20 range and go up to $60-plus dependent on industry.
Three textbooks are required and are available for purchase at our Frost Campus Bookstore. Students must also have CSA-approved eight-inch boots.
- Safely operate and perform daily maintenance on a variety of heavy equipment according to machinery capability, limitations and specifications, current industry standards, health, safety, and environmental laws, and best practices.
- Pre- and post-inspect equipment and document findings of heavy equipment to ensure safe operation.
- Use basic survey techniques to interpret grade elevation for correct grade control and proper earth moving.
- Assess a work site for possible hazards and risks and report all findings prior to the operation of machinery.
- Accurately record required information in logs, inspection checks, and other required documentation for machinery and site maintenance.
- Contribute to a healthy and productive work site by communicating effectively with others including customers to achieve organizational and work goals.
- Protect self by wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment according to current safety standards, environmental conditions, and best practices.
Students applying to Heavy Equipment Operator must meet the following requirements:
- OSSD with majority of credits at the Workplace (E) level including Gr 12 (E)English
PC / Windows
- Operating System:Windows 10
- Processor:Core i5 - 1.6Ghz minimum
- Memory:8GB minimum
- Hard Disk:160GB minimum
Internet Connection: 2.5 Mbps Download and 3.0 Mbps Upload (minimum)
In The News: Heavy Equipment Operator
Whether you’ve been accepted into a Fleming program but couldn’t join us last fall, or you’re just realizing that now is the perfect time to start your education, we have a spot waiting for you. We’d be excited to welcome you to campus for the upcoming spring semester!
Here’s why?starting your Fleming adventure in spring is?the?smart?choice:?
- A career head start:?Enter the workforce months ahead of fall graduates?
- Smaller class sizes:?Get more direct guidance and support from expert faculty?
- Quick access to services:?With fewer students on campus,?you’ll?have easier access to the resources you need to succeed?
The good news is that updating your Fleming application for a spring start is simple and your application fee is already covered.
You’re just a few steps closer to the Fleming experience!
Check to see if your program offers a spring start by clicking here. If it is, take the next step to update your college application:
How to Update Your Application for Spring Start
- Log into ontariocolleges.ca with your credentials.
- Select "Apply" on the left-hand side once you are logged in.
- Select "Continue Application", then select "Application Cycle: August 1, 2025 - July 31, 2026".
- Select "Choose Programs" across the top menu.
- If you already have a program selected, choose "Change/Add Program Choices". (If you do not have a program selected, continue to the next step.)
- Search for your program and filter the results by selecting "Fleming" from the "All Colleges" drop-down.
- Review the program details carefully to confirm the spring start date.
- Select "Add" once you’ve confirmed the correct semester start date.
- Review your choice(s) on the left-hand side and select "Save and Continue".
- You will now see your updated selections. From here, you can continue through the application process as you did previously or select "Review" from the top menu to ensure all information is accurate.
Once submitted, we’ll receive your updated application and reach out to you with more information, taking you one step closer to starting your Fleming experience this spring.
Have Questions? Our Student Recruitment team is here to guide you through every step. Whether you’re curious about a program or need help with the application process, reach out to us at askus@flemingcollege.ca.
We hope to see you on campus this spring!
Ready to apply to Fleming for the first time?
If you’re new to Fleming, now is the time to secure your spot for a spring start and join a vibrant campus community. Take the first step toward a rewarding career this spring.
Students who want to get started in their academic journey and begin an in-demand career sooner often start post-secondary studies in the spring. If you’re ready to make the same strategic move, it’s not too late to apply for a spring start at Fleming College.
Why the spring start is a game-changer
While most students battle for spots in September, the spring programs offer great personal and professional advantages:
- The competitive edge: By studying through the summer months, you’ll graduate and enter the workforce months ahead of others.
- Enhanced learning opportunity: Smaller class sizes give you more time to learn directly from expert faculty, as they won’t have as many students vying for their attention.
- Calm campus environment: With fewer students on campus in the spring, it means a more relaxed atmosphere and quicker access to student support and academic services.
Six top programs still accepting applications for spring 2026:
- Early Childhood Education: Nurture young minds through play-based learning. With 525 hours?of?placement experience, graduate?ready to lead in Ontario’s early learning sector. Learn more
- Practical Nursing: Build?life-saving?nursing?skills in simulation labs and clinical placements, then join the frontlines of healthcare in hospitals, clinics, and community settings.??Learn more
- Personal Support Worker: Launch a rewarding, in-demand career in just eight months. Gain hands-on experience providing essential support in long-term care and home environments. Learn more
- Mental Health and Addiction Worker: Develop counselling and crisis-response skills rooted in trauma-informed care. Start your career sooner with the accelerated semester option. Learn more
- Heavy Equipment Operator: In just 12 weeks, gain the skills to operate and maintain large construction equipment including bulldozers, backhoes, and hydraulic excavators. Learn more
- Blasting Techniques: The only program of its kind in Canada, you’ll learn foundational skills for a variety of construction, mining, drilling, and blasting sectors in our world-class facility. Graduates from this program are in high-demand. Learn more
Don’t wait for September
The job market doesn’t wait for the leaves to turn, and neither should you! Apply for a spring 2026 start to choose a path that prioritizes learning and entering your career faster without feeling rushed.
Get ahead when you join us this spring!
Visit the program pages listed above to apply or click here to check out more spring offerings.
After growing up in Toronto and spending decades working in family-run construction and heavy equipment businesses, everything changed when Steven’s company closed. What was once steady work turned into uncertainty. His family relocated to the Kawarthas, and suddenly, after more than 20 years in the workforce, he found himself without a job and without a high school diploma.
“I never worked for anyone else,” he says. “I didn’t even know how to make a resume.”
One day, driving past the Adult Education Centre in Lindsay, something clicked. Encouraged by his partner, he decided to walk in and ask a simple question: Could I finish high school?
Returning to school later in life was intimidating. He enrolled full-time, committing from September to June, while balancing family responsibilities and raising a young daughter.
“It was nerve-wracking,” he recalls. “I was older than the teacher.”
After finishing high school, he visited the Vocational & Career Counselling Services (VCCS) for help building a resume. During that meeting, a counsellor asked him a question that would change his life:
“Do you want to go to college?”
“It had never crossed my mind,” he says.
With guidance from VCCS, he applied for funding through Better Jobs Ontario and was accepted into Fleming’s Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) program.
Although he had years of experience operating heavy equipment on job sites, the HEO program filled in critical gaps he’d never had the chance to learn.
“I’d run machines my whole life, but no one ever explained how they worked,” he explains. “Now I understood the mechanics, the maintenance, the safety, and the why, not just the how.”
The hands-on learning, supportive instructors, and real-world training transformed his confidence. Instructors stood out not just for their expertise, but for their calm, patient approach. They helped students realize that complex machines were manageable and that learning was possible.
“It wasn’t as out of reach as I thought,” he says. “That was huge.”
Steven then went from student to faculty, almost overnight.
After graduating, he began looking for work when something unexpected happened. An instructor reached out and encouraged him to apply for a teaching position at Fleming.
“At first, I ignored it,” he admits. “I thought there was no way I’d ever qualify for something like that.”
When the encouragement came again, he applied. Within days, he was interviewed and hired. He started the following week.
Today, he’s back at Fleming, not as a student, but as faculty.
“I’m still in shock,” he says. “My friends didn’t believe me. My daughter didn’t believe me. I had to show them my staff card.”
His journey gives him a unique connection with students, many of whom are fresh out of high school or unsure of their next steps.
“I can read them,” he says. “I’ve been where they are, nervous, unsure, wondering if they belong.” He prepares students for the realities of the field while encouraging them to believe in themselves.
“It’s a tough industry,” he tells them honestly. “But it’s a good one. And you can do this.”
For anyone sitting in an Adult Education classroom wondering if more is possible, his message is simple:
“It wasn’t out of reach. While finishing high school at the adult learning centre, which looks directly onto Fleming’s HEO program, he would look across and think, ‘That would be cool.’ Now, here he is.”