Extreme Sandboxs Heavy Equipment Camp Enables High School Students to Explore Skilled Labor Career Options

Bloomington Kennedy high school students will spend half a day on-site learning about and experiencing heavy equipment operation and maintenance

HASTINGS, Minn. (Feb. 10, 2015) -- Extreme Sandbox, in partnership with Ziegler CAT, will host a Heavy Equipment Camp for 16 students from Bloomington Kennedy High School (coordinated through Bloomington Public Schools Career & College Academy) on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Extreme Sandbox is located in Hastings at 1901 Glendale Road. The students will learn about job opportunities in heavy equipment operations and diesel mechanics, and receive valuable hands-on exposure to these trades by actually operating excavators and skid steers, under direction from professional instructors.

This program is an excellent opportunity for students to explore careers in heavy equipment operations and repair, said Randy Stenger, Extreme Sandbox owner. Four year degrees are not always an option or interest for many students. This program helps to teach them about skilled labor job options that pay well and are in demand. We received excellent feedback on the pilot program we offered for Hastings, Tartan and North St. Paul students over the past few months, and we look forward to working with other school districts to expand the program.

We are proud to partner with Extreme Sandbox and the Heavy Equipment/Diesel Technical College program throughout Minnesota, said Paul Anderson, Human Resources technical recruiter at Ziegler CAT. The Heavy Equipment Camp program enables high school students to explore career options they might otherwise never have considered without this truly unique hands-on opportunity. People choosing careers in these fields have the potential to earn $65,000 to $100,000 per year.

About Extreme Sandbox

Founded in 2012, Extreme Sandbox is located on a 10-acre site in Hastings, Minn. It offers packages for individuals, recreational groups or corporate team-building groups that enable users to operate excavators, bulldozers and skid steers to complete specific tasks and navigate obstacles. For more information, visit www.extremesandbox.com.