DAWSON, Ga. (WALB) — One year after WALB first profiled a free heavy-equipment training program in southwest Georgia, the nonprofit behind the initiative is reporting measurable results, including new jobs, raises, promotions, and opportunities for people reentering the workforce.

Since June of 2024, the Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council has trained more than 130 people using its high tech, motion-based simulator. The program was funded in part through a $1 million federal grant backed by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. to help remedy severe trade labor shortages and maintain vital rural infrastructure.

The program was originally launched to give people a free pathway to learn skills needed for high-demand heavy-equipment jobs, while helping rural communities address workforce shortages.

Program leaders say the results so far include:

• 130+ people trained across southwest Georgia
• 74 incumbent workers trained or retrained on heavy equipment, with 39 receiving raises and six receiving promotions
• 56 new entrants trained, including unemployed residents, students, and incarcerated individuals
• 10 previously unemployed participants found jobs and remain employed
• 25 operators earned Level 1 operator certifications
• 22 incarcerated individuals received training
• Four participants who were incarcerated and have since been released found jobs in construction and public works

Rhonda Gordon, executive director of Golden Triangle RC&D, said the organization measures success by more than the number of people who complete the course.

“We measure our success not just by the number of people that have gone through the training program, but also by the new skills and confidence they build safely in a controlled environment,” Gordon said.

She said the program is especially important in rural communities where employers need qualified heavy-equipment operators.

Safe seat time, real-world skills

The training is housed inside a mobile trailer that can travel throughout the 20 counties served by Golden Triangle RC&D.

Inside, a motion-based chair and five large screens simulate operating heavy equipment, including off-road dump trucks, backhoes, front-end loaders, excavators, bulldozers, and motor graders.

Kevin Blackburn, a heavy-equipment simulator instructor, said the technology gives students a chance to make mistakes and build muscle memory without the cost and risk of traditional field training.

“When we do it on the simulator, we’re not taking an operator off the job just to burn diesel fuel at $6.50 a gallon while making zero job progress,” Blackburn said. “If a student makes a mistake, we reset and start over until they build that muscle memory.”

Students typically spend about 40 to 45 hours in the simulator before testing for their Level 1 certification.

The certification gives operators documentation showing they completed the course and demonstrated basic skills.

From training to a job, and even teaching others

For some participants, the training has become a direct path into the workforce.

Blackburn highlighted one high school junior who excelled during training and later landed a summer job operating heavy equipment at a plantation.

He also recalled a retiree from north Georgia who traveled to southwest Georgia specifically to take the course. The man completed the training and certification in about eight days and was hired as an equipment operator within a week.

“People my age in the trades are getting ready to retire. Somebody has to build these roads and houses,” Blackburn said. “Blue collar is a thriving trade, and there’s good money to be made.”

The program is also creating a full-circle story for one former participant who went from learning how to operate heavy equipment to helping teach others.

That participant is now using the skills learned through the program to help train students in Early County.

A second chance through workforce training

Golden Triangle RC&D has also trained people who were once in jail.

Of the 22 incarcerated people who have gone through the program, Gordon said many remain in the correctional system or transitional facilities. Four have since been released, and all four have found jobs in construction or public works, where they can use the skills they learned.

Gordon said the goal is to give people access to skills that can translate into employment while also helping local employers build a pipeline of qualified workers.

Funding secured for another year

Golden Triangle RC&D said additional funding has been secured to continue offering the training at no cost for another year.

The organization says the program serves unemployed residents, students, incarcerated individuals, and current workers looking to expand their skills.

Anyone interested in participating in the simulator training or partnering with the program can contact Golden Triangle RC&D at 229-995-2027.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.