Complaint Review: Heavy Construction Academy TRUSTED BUSINESS | Ripoff Report Verifie ™ …businesses you can trust. Heavy Construction Academy the nation’s leading institution training & certification of Heavy Equipment Operators. Heavy Construction Academy has modern equipment state-of-the-art facilities and an ideal training field. HCA has become one of the most effective efficient training sites in the world.

You'd all be better off learning this on the job.Instead of going into debt,you'd draw a paycheck.

I have looked at trucking companies for training, read reviews (do a google for training school or company you are looking at with complaints at the end) and just today I heard about this school in Brentwood NH which offered a number of great courses. I also looked at ATS (Associated Training School) which had great things like TT Driving for taking the equipment to the site, Wheeled and Tracked training which allows you to unload the equipment at the site and start working.

Every d**n time I do the above search for a training company I read every time issues that the training was not at all what it was thought to be. This is truly disappointing to say the least and a complete and in writing (with hours) course outline should be discussed and understood prior to the customer signing up. They should also have to sign a agreement that both parties have been informed and it's understood that this is what they will receive and nothing else.

I have read many of these reports and I think that many schools could help prevent these issues by providing an course outline with a number of hours in training for each segment of the course so that it's understood what the outcome is for this section. There also should be a class limit on number of students as I've read about having to many students and not all of them get the ability to get ample use. Also there are students that learn at a slower/faster pace then others. The way to prevent this would be to have an operator test to see what their level of competence is.

For myself I have spent 15 years in IT. So the instructors/consumers reading this are now saying OMG an intellectual preach by someone who doesn't know anything about equipment. Well I'm here to tell you that I spent 25 years in the start of my life working on our and other farms. The last 10 years were for equipment operation such as plowing, loader, forklift, back h*e, etc and I am no slouch to many. My requirements for this or a course like this would be to gain advanced training on some equipment and basic and advanced training on other types of equipment such as cranes and back-h*e bulldozer. Although I've run all of the said listed it may not be to the level that said company would say is adequate.

I just want an honest company that will do what they say they will and at the end have a REAL program to provide it's students with REAL companies the THEY have partnered with and / or have connections to and provide them with interviews. If there are no jobs for this then this is reality and would go further than just a list of construction companies. I can get this from Google.
 

I fully believe this is a front for the mob to launder money or something... I wasted 15k on the "school" then I look on here and there are tons of pissed off people... How could a legitimate company stay in business offering basically nothing for 15k... ? You tell me

... when they were sellin me on coming to the school I looked it up online and found these reports...  I questioned them about em but they told me it was just a disgruntled student and not to worry.

Against my better judgement I came anyway, and boy am I sorry.

I got very little machine time, preformed only basic tasks, got no real hands on help, and walked out with a certificate of completion that Ive since found out doesn't certify me for anything.

Looks like it's back to driving a truck for me

My name is Alex DelVecchio. I am the Training Director at HCA. Its been made clear that RipoffReport.com is very effective at keeping their content main-stream, therefore Id like to personally address some issues here.

First and foremost, the accusation/implication that the owner (or anyone else involved in the company for that matter) is in ANY way related to the mafia is absolutely absurd -- not to mention borderline illegal (libel/defamation). It is nothing more than a childish rumor that must have been started by an immature student.

Secondly, to avoid fueling the fire, I invite anyone to call us and inquire about the school or come visit us and see for yourself what our program is like. We have nothing to hide. Feel free to email me personally or call me directly and leave a message. I will provide my contact information below and would be more than happy to speak with anyone who has any questions, concerns, or interest in the program.

Finally, let it be clear that we NEVER turn away a student in need even/especially when the student has graduated. It would be great if the original poster would contact us so we might have the chance to work on a solution to the problem he/she seems to be having. There are no hard feelings, and we would be more than happy to help you work this out if we can.

Alex DelVecchio
Training director
Alex.d@operator-academy.com              
603-772-9002 ext. 304

... because it really sounds like it... I find it odd that a HAPPY HCA graduate would go on ripoff report.com, AFTER he's graduated and has a job, and search for HCA... Something tells me either that is an HCA employee or HCA cherrypicked a graduate who has found a job and offered him something to go on here and post a lenghty 'rebuttal.'

I will repeat: I don't know anyone from my graduating class that has found a job yet. Period. No amount of HCA employees posting as consumors on RR.com can change that.

And I don't appreciate the suggestion that I'm lazy and expected a job to be handed to me! I've put in 200+ applications and resumes ALL OVER THE COUNTRY... I have no criminal record and I have a steady work history w/ some construction background....  Yet I'm told my certificate isn't recognised...

Don't take my word for it, talk to local companies before you sign up for this school... see what they recognise or what it takes to get a job as an operator there...

The school told me NOT to do that before I signed up, and that 'if I did ALL companies would say 'no' only because I didn't have my certificate yet... But if I did have it in hand when I went to the company, it's be different... ' 

Don't fall for that one like I did.  Do you homework, and believe what the companies tell you regarding employement before hand.. Because it is the same thing they say after you graduate!!

Trust me, I know!

If you say that HCA "ripped you off," you weren't paying attention at all when you were first interested in the school.  I'm not really sure why you put "certified" and "trained" in quotation marks, but those are the exact two things that the Heavy Construction Academy provides as their admissions representatives clearly stated before I attended the program last month.

When I was first contacted by an admissions rep (I believe his name was Steve?) I was looking to break into the construction industry as it has been a life-long goal of mine.  Since the rep told me HCA provides certification and training and prepares students for an ENTRY LEVEL position, the program sounded perfect for me.  It was.  Did I leave the program feeling like I had mastered every aspect of the heavy equipment industry?  Hardly, but that would be impossible to accomplish in a few short months and HCA did not mislead me at any point as far as that is concerned.

Considering regulations and licenses differ across all states, it would be unreasonable to assume that HCA can give its students a "license" of some sort instead of "just" a certification, which seems to be something that makes you feel like you've been ripped off.

The thing that annoys me about people who rag on HCA is you can tell each and every one of them expect to have their hand held and be handed a job when they graduate.  Does it work like that at any major university in America?  Sure, colleges provide four years of education, but at the end of it isn't a degree nothing more than a "slip of paper?"  You have to go out and use what you've learned to earn a position in the real world once all is said and done.

Maybe I'm a little biased since I was able to find work upon graduating with the help of HCA's instructors, but my current employer has said a countless amount of good things about my being prepared for the position I earned.  I certainly wouldn't consider myself to be a master operator at this point in my career, but if it were not for my experience at HCA I would not have known the right way to do things and would never have been able to just break into the construction field.  Don't let the bad experience of one person ruin your opinion if you're considering attending this school!

If you say that HCA "ripped you off," you weren't paying attention at all when you were first interested in the school.  I'm not really sure why you put "certified" and "trained" in quotation marks, but those are the exact two things that the Heavy Construction Academy provides as their admissions representatives clearly stated before I attended the program last month.

When I was first contacted by an admissions rep (I believe his name was Steve?) I was looking to break into the construction industry as it has been a life-long goal of mine.  Since the rep told me HCA provides certification and training and prepares students for an ENTRY LEVEL position, the program sounded perfect for me.  It was.  Did I leave the program feeling like I had mastered every aspect of the heavy equipment industry?  Hardly, but that would be impossible to accomplish in a few short months and HCA did not mislead me at any point as far as that is concerned.

Considering regulations and licenses differ across all states, it would be unreasonable to assume that HCA can give its students a "license" of some sort instead of "just" a certification, which seems to be something that makes you feel like you've been ripped off.

The thing that annoys me about people who rag on HCA is you can tell each and every one of them expect to have their hand held and be handed a job when they graduate.  Does it work like that at any major university in America?  Sure, colleges provide four years of education, but at the end of it isn't a degree nothing more than a "slip of paper?"  You have to go out and use what you've learned to earn a position in the real world once all is said and done.

Maybe I'm a little biased since I was able to find work upon graduating from HCA, but my current employer has said a countless amount of good things about my being prepared for the position I earned.  I certainly wouldn't consider myself to be a master operator at this point in my career, but if it were not for my experience at HCA I would not have known the right way to do things and would never have been able to just break into the construction field.  Don't let the bad experience of one person ruin your opinion if you're considering attending this school!

I probably should have specified this in the last rebuttle so that it's clear, but I am the author of the original complaint and I wrote the last rebuttle "still feeling ripped off"...

I chose to also use the anomous Display Name 'operator_man' as did another ex student commenter, and I believe I already expressed why I felt the need for anonymity!! 

But as you can see, my rebuttal is listed as "update by Author" and the other operator_man's as a "Consumer Comment."

Also as you can see, I dissagree with the other operator_man that there is nothing bad to say about HCA. But from reading his posting it seemes like it was all just a vacation for him. It must be nice to not have to worry about paying a large student loan back with a family to support!

To Employee Rebuttal:

I wrote my complaint based on my FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE with your school. No, I'm not Tim and I don't live in beverly... this is my friends account (who told me about the service) as I don;t have a RR.com account of my own. And no,  I'm not telling you who I am, because I don't want my to risk getting my kneecaps bashed in!!
 
To Steven Bengis:

I don't doubt that your son is happy and proud on the machines, and enjoying operating them greatly. As he should be.  I'm sure that alone is worth the price for you and others.

BUT:  Your son has not yet graduated and talked to HUNDREDS of prospective employers who say they don't recognise the HCA diploma... I have.  Your son hasn't yet had to face being farther in debt and no closer to a job to support their family.  I have.

I and many others that I met while I was there.  The school and the career opportunities in this field WERE presented falsely to me, and I really hope by telling my story I can help even 1 person keep from making the same mistake I did..

For the people that want to have their picture taken and feel good operating machines, - Hca is great! - For everyone else that NEEDS a job or career, and can't afford to go 5 figures farther in debt and be no closer to one than when they started   -  hca is not so great.

And that's the truth.

I guess there r two complaints on here... 1 for HCA academy and one for NHCA.....but it's the same school in Brentwood... I just posted on the other one a little while ago, then I found this one..

Like I said on the other one, I went to this school and it was ok... I don't have no job yet but the trainin was ok for learning basic stuff... I never would have known how to move equpmant much less dig a trench.. so at least I know that stuff.

For me it was fun.. School was paid for me n my parents r very well off so not having a job yet isnt a big deal...  over all it was a cool experience I guess...

All the rest of the guys I went to school with don't hav jobs and rn't too thriled with hca academy, but that's their problem... 

I tell them and this guy the same thing - 'Yeah, they made it out to be something it wasn't before we enrolled ..So what! You shouldn;t have been borrown money to go to a school like this anyway. Thats a stupid risk in this economy. It's not the schools fault. Don't come on here and get all mad at them just because you are that dumb.'

leave hca alone!

To Henry Krinkle:

NHCA is an entry level operator training school. Our goal is to prepare our students with the basic knowledge necessary to get started in the heavy  construction industry, with earthwork as a focus. We teach the basics of safe and effective equipment operation, preventative maintenance,  blueprint reading, grades, and other important information. A good  foreman may or may not have the time or ability to properly or effectively train a new operator while on the job site. As you are likely aware, learning "the hard way" on a job site can be a very costly if not deadly lesson that no one can afford. The monetary costs alone can often far exceed the price of tuition, even for our full 9-week program.

To Steven Bengis:

Thank you for taking the time to post your review. We're glad to hear that your son is enjoying his time here!

To the original poster:

Unfortunately there is little that can be said in response to your report. Our records don't show a Tim S. that graduated the 9-week program. If, however, there was an issue with receiving your certification, please contact us so that we may resolve that issue.

There's way too much to learn for anyone to learn it in a matter of weeks. You might learn to drive it around, but the skill takes years. And some people just can't learn it. A good foreman with 30 to 50 years of experience is how you learn it. I know.I've done it since 1978.

I just returned from a visit with my son who is attending the Level 2 training at HCA after spending three weeks completing Level 1.  What the writer posted about "not learning anything", HCA being a "ripoff" and a "paper mill" is so opposite both to my and my son's experience, and to what I observed on three different visits,  that I felt compelled to respond.

My son has never been in the trade, and had never operated any heavy equipment.  He is talented with machinery in general and I always thought heavy equipment might be his "ticket" to a decent paying job. The training isn't inexpensive and we too had to borrow the money to send him.  Within the first three weeks, he learned to operate a backhoe, skidder and bucket loader.  It's virtually impossible not learn anything when 80% of your time is spent practicing in the equipment you are being taught to operate. After completing the first three weeks, he signed up to continue with Level Two.  Yesterday, I watched him operate an excavator.  In addition, there is some classroom education and testing to ensure enough equipment knowledge to safely operate the machines and some teaching of job search and interviewing skills

It is true that HCA provides its own certification if students have successfully completed both the written and hands on parts of the training.  We knew it was a local certification when I agreed to send my son.  But, a "paper mill" is a business that offers a certification without providing quality training to obtain it.   That is far from the reality at HCA and I hope the above facts demonstrate that.