For several years, Vermeer Corporation has received feedback from its customers and dealer network that there is a need for qualified operators in the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry. Now that the fiber market is booming, there is more work available than people to complete it. The qualified labor shortage has forced some HDD contractors to take on less work because they don’t have the manpower to meet the demanding installation timelines.
Tony Bokhoven, training manager at Vermeer, believes the labor shortage is twofold. First, it comes down to a lack of awareness about the career opportunities the HDD industry can provide. Second, people who are interested in learning how to drill may not know how to get started. Unlike other traditional trades, the HDD industry doesn’t have formal training programs.
“I think there’s some misconception about how great of a career it can be,” said Bokhoven. “The right people can make a really strong living and have a great career in the HDD field. The other part is that people who are interested in doing it don’t know how to get involved. If someone wants to become a welder, the individual can go to an academy and become a certified welder. But there really hasn’t been a uniform place to learn how to operate a drill or other HDD equipment.”
That’s what inspired Vermeer to develop HDD Circuit™ training, a two-week, tuition-based program offered to employees of contractors and designed to help teach horizontal directional drilling crews how to operate safely and efficiently.
“As some of these bigger fiber projects surfaced, it became evident that to help our customers and accounts get those jobs and complete them in a timely manner, we need to help them cultivate talent,” said Bokhoven. “HDD Circuit training is our first step in trying to formalize drill crew training so that it’s consistent and repeatable.”
Going beyond on-the-job training
According to Bokhoven, for about the past 25 years many individuals have learned how to operate a drill right on the jobsite. While this method was used in the past, it forces a rookie operator to learn how to drill in a high-pressure, high-risk scenario.
“Contractors did this for a long time. But it’s one of those things where they’re trying to train someone in a high-pressure situation and any mistake could be quite costly,” said Bokhoven. “Vermeer is trying to minimize that risk and expense with the HDD Circuit training program. We want to get drill operators and other crew members to the point where they can leave the training with the knowledge needed to go to work. Providing this training allows contractors’ employees to gain the knowledge to be more efficient from the start.”
HDD Circuit training includes both classroom and on-rig training. The students spend two weeks learning steps of the drilling operation, from walking the bore path, potholing, creating a bore plan, mixing the mud, proper drill maintenance and actual hands-on time with the drill and associated equipment.
“We’re not only teaching them how to operate the drill but also about lean jobsite setup, good safety practices and ways to properly maintain machines,” said Bokhoven.
Students must complete and pass a written test and hands-on evaluation in order to pass the HDD Circuit training and receive a certificate of completion.
“Students will not be experts on any particular task when they successfully complete the training, but they will be well-versed in the industry lingo, the processes and the importance of what each person on the crew does,” said Bokhoven.
Exploring the HDD industry
If you are a high school graduate exploring your career options or a seasoned laborer pondering a career change, the HDD industry may be for you. There are many ways to get involved, including positions as a traffic manager, mud technician, locator, drill operator or jobsite foreman. The HDD industry provides opportunities for anyone over the age of 18 — men, women, and English and non-English speakers — with a strong desire to learn a new trade and a willingness to work hard.
“If you have a desire to work with your hands, work outdoors and travel the country, those are the keys to being able to have a good career in the HDD industry,” said Bokhoven. “If you’re interested, I encourage you to stop on a jobsite and talk to a foreman or go to your local Vermeer dealer and find out how you can get trained. That’s how those relationships with contractors start.”
HDD Circuit training is offered to contractors who select and send their current employees to the training. To learn more about HDD Circuit training, contact Vermeer at HDDCircuit@Vermeer.com.