Operating Engineer at Operating Engineers Local 953

Operating Engineers Local 953 sponsors this union (JATC) apprenticeship for heavy equipment operators in Albuquerque, NM. Rooted in New Mexico's active construction and infrastructure sectors, Local 953 partners with area contractors to give apprentices hands-on training on real jobsites. Apprentices are compensated throughout the program, earning wages that typically increase as they progress through each year of training.

The program is four years in length and structured around 6,000 hours of on-the-job training and 432 hours of related technical instruction. Apprentices gain experience operating bulldozers, excavators, cranes, graders, and other heavy equipment across a range of construction environments. Technical instruction covers equipment mechanics, rigging, site safety protocols, and applicable OSHA standards.

Upon completing the program, graduates are credentialed as journeyman Operating Engineers and prepared to work on highway, building, and civil construction projects throughout New Mexico. Local 953 union membership connects journeymen to negotiated wages, health coverage, and retirement benefits, supporting a stable and rewarding long-term career in the trade.