PLEASE read this if you are considering attending The Northeast Heavy Construction Academy or HCA as they call themselves... My advice, - DON'T make the same mistake I and my son did! Ignore their calls, and don't waste your time or money!
Bottom Line:
1. My son DID NOT receive a 'credential' from Heavy Construction Academy to operate equipment. He received a "Certificate of Graduation" - a worthless piece of paper - (that I later found out they print on an office printer there) and which has NOT been recognized by ANY companies out of over 50 I've called so far.
2. My son got VERY LIMITED experience on equipment. Hour here or there "digging holes" as he explained to me, - which is a FAR CRY from what it say's in their brochure, much less what the HCA sales rep told me on the phone!
3. Heavy Construction Academy is a very good sales company, they are not a heavy equipment operator school. I could have rented a few machines for 2 weeks and brought a $99 home study course and my son would have learned MORE about heavy equipment operation.
Here's what happened:
A few months back my adult son was unemployed due to the economy and I was online looking at areers for him to go into. I thought about Heavy Equipment, or Heavy Equipment Operation, - perhaps even Crane Operator for him. He always loved heavy equipment and cranes, and it seemed like a good paying career that he'd actually like. Somehow I arrived on the site of the Heavy Construction Academy. The HCA site looked nice and had some good info, so I requested abrochure in my sons name.
The next day a sales guy from HCA called the house the first time. (Don't remember name) He asked me some questions and I told him that we were justlooking at options for our son... Looking back I can see just how smooth their sales pitch is! It totally fooled me! Somehow from requesting a brochure I
Ended up on the phone with the main Sales Rep 'Steve Franks' (I believe) and next thing you know we were driving up for one of their sales pitch days!
When at HCA, All of my questions and concerns got turned around on me, and all I was told was how Heavy Construction Academy had the best everything, and would give my son the training to get the job, and they ask if he was 'up to the task', because if he was he would succeed. Bla bla bla.
Next came some really confusing story about financing...'It's through a separate lender, but we take the application, but it's separate, but the school owner has to approve it, but there is no info on this other "lender" '... - It all sounded FAR to fishey to me, so I decided to pay cash for my son. - Cash I couldn't afford to lose. And I did.
My son tells me all the other guys at school had similar stories, as several were going to get together and contact the state board of education, - but there was a rumor that the owner (some Boston Italian guy) is some kind of wise guy or was in the mafia or something, and that complaints about HCA weren't
'handled' well. So no one has had the courage to. I'm posting this anonymously for that very reason!
I'll say it again, - the sales reps over at Heavy construction academy are VERY, VERY good. I have my own business and I'd like to think im pretty sharp. - Heavy construction academy fooled me, and then stole my money! Take my advice, - PLEASE run from HCA. There are better ways to become a heavy equipment or crane operator than wasting thousands. Start as a laborer on a crew and work your way in... (Which is what my son was told at the HCA graduation that he'd have to do, - after I spent 13k for 'heavy equipment operator training and certification' at the heavy construction "academy") What a joke!
I hope this helps someone!
-Ripped off and unhappy
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