Heavy Construction Academy REVIEW: Heavy Construction Academy dedicated to exceptional student experiences & success.Commitment to Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program, a program benefiting consumers, ensuring complete satisfaction & confidence when doing business.
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
9 Updates & Rebuttals
ABNSmith
Fayetteville,North Carolina,
United States of America
My son attended on my post 9/11 GI bill
#10Consumer Comment
Tue, October 23, 2012
And gained employment based on the school in less than three weeks.
he enjoyed his time there, and enjoys his work.
enough said
anonymous
United States of AmericaI agree
#10Consumer Comment
Tue, December 20, 2011
I fully agree Zeb, 15k or whateve ir is now is way, way too much.. (It was 12k for 9 weeks several years ago when I lookied into it!!! ) it was a mistake on my part to go....
And they lie... Its not as represented. They had me talk to this student when I was there as like a referral... but I found out later they paid him! The sales rep Steve paid him 100$ to say good things about the school when I came for my tour!! And he only came clean after I graduated, and learned he was a friend of a friend!! That has to be illegal!! Right? I mean, I know its not a real school, like accredited.. but it still is wrong.
zeb tupper
canton,Ohio,
United States of America
HCA
#10Consumer Comment
Sun, December 04, 2011
I just graduated from HCA i thought it was a very informative school.......you study in 3 week periods and for about a week and half you dont do any work what so ever you just learn the controls which is very boring but something you need to know i feel too much time is spent indoors and this school in my eyes is about trial and error also more efficient ways of running machinery. There is definetly more room for improvement in terms of curriculum with the school as in hands on and not classroom. Also they have the CAT 330 and also the Dressta TD15 which is on site but students cant use which is just stupid. One other reccomendation i have for the school is to quit raising prices on courses 15,000 $ is quite steep for 6 weeks of training that was just the price when i went they have recently raised it. On the good side the instructors are great and have lots of wisdom to share.
Gus
United States of Americatraining certificates
#10Consumer Comment
Mon, November 28, 2011
I am signed up for the next class. My cousin went there, and he got a job within two months. I can't say it was definitely because of their certification, but I think it helped that is why I'm going.
disgusted
newark,New Jersey,
United States of America
What a bunch of liars
#10Consumer Comment
Sat, November 19, 2011
the web site and the sign at the school says "crane operator school" but they dont offer training in crane ..tried to get my money back and wasa told I just had to take the training that they offer ....
Anonymous
United States of AmericaHCA
#10Consumer Suggestion
Tue, November 15, 2011
I went to HCA, and it was good training. Whether or not a company knows about their certification is irrelevant, you put it on your resume. It helps you get a job.
Truckn_4_Life
New Hampshire,United States of America
I wish I'd have listened to the first guy about the HCA heavy construction academy...
#10Consumer Comment
Fri, September 02, 2011
... I actually read that first guys report before I came to school, but the salesman at the school talked me out of believing it... He said that it was a disgruntled grad that probably didn't have a job and was blaming the school... He told me to come out to a free seminar to see that the school was legit... So I did. - And the free seminar was great! And I talked to a bunch of other guys that liked it, So I signed up! -
- BIG MISTAKE -
Now Im graduated and job hunting NO COMPANY recognises my certificate... ive turned in hundreds of applications all over the country with no success... I can't even get a laborer job on a crew!! ...I totally wasted All that money. And Im not upset with HCA academy.. they have a product to sell like any other company... I just wish it didn't have to cost me many thousans with 0 benefit to me besides a vacation from home...
Operator_man
United States of Americai went to the HCA academy...
#10Consumer Comment
Wed, June 29, 2011
...and it was ok. I'm not gonna say anything bad about it..
The only thing really is that I cant find a job.. put in over 100 applicatins and no one seems to honeor this HCA academy certification and most just arnt hiring now..
And I do kinda see what this guy is saying tho because it was made to seem much better than it actually was once I was there... But it was fun and it wasn't my money so it's all good!
I can say that if you like NEED a job, this probably aint your best bet.. im in touch w/ the guys from my class and none have jobs yet... One is like really pissed at the school... thinks they lied to him about financing and wanted me to get in on a class action lawsuit... i didnt finance so I cant tho..
.. like i saud it was ok .. and I learned sum basic stuff - so they are cool with me
I did heat that rumor about the owner tho.. - wouldn't surprise me ! lol
NHCA
Brentwood,New Hampshire,
USA
Complaint response
#10UPDATE Employee
Mon, June 27, 2011
As an established training facility we have successfully trained and certified hundreds of heavy equipment operators. It saddens us to learn that any student did not have a positive experience while at our school. We are shocked that someone would go so far as to slander an individuals credibility through association based on rumor of ethnicity. For the record the rumor is false.
However to address the issue of credential, our certificate of completion has served as the needed credential for hundreds of both experienced and non-experienced graduates to either further or start their careers as heavy equipment operators.
Presently there are no national requirements for the certification of heavy equipment operators. The credential supplied through the school serves as verification of formal training. This verification of training, especially for the non-expensed operator, will play a major role in that individuals ability to find employment in the industry.
Although the exercises differ from season to season they are all in fact designed and tested to impart the necessary skills required for each student to satisfy the equipment proficiencies of each level of training.
NHCA is not by any means a sales company. We do not hire sales representatives. Our admissions representatives simply facilitate the transition into the program from both a financial and logistical standpoint.
In conclusion, we do work hard to provide quality training for our students. We strive to provide open and continuous communication between students and faculty to ensure that expectations are being met and it truly saddens us to find out about an issue after the student has left.