Goochland High School Searching for Utility/Heavy Construction Instructor

Back in 2013, a friend of Goochland County Public Schools CTE Director, Bruce Watson, who worked in quarries said we need equipment operators, why don’t’ you do something about that in Goochland! I came back and talked to Dr. Lane who said, "Let’s try it. We started this program with zero equipment, and bought tools used to maintain equipment. Parks and rec donated old equipment that was too big and old to use in this department. We sold that and used those funds to buy more appropriate equipment. Now we own all of our equipment thanks to our business partners and some other funding. We are only one of two heavy equipment programs on the secondary level in the Commonwealth. Ours just happens to be the biggest and the best,” said Watson. 
 
He thanked Lane for his vision and support, the school board, superintendents over the years for their support, and Tim Greenway CTE Chair. “Our business partners are the heart and soul of our program. We couldn’t survive without them.” 

Last year, the Career and Technical Education department of Goochland High School celebrated the donation of a Caterpillar D3 Dozer from the Sargent Corporation to the heavy equipment operator program in the equipment bay at the CTE center. 

People make a difference. “When we started this program, we needed an instructor,” Watson said, noting that it’s no secret that teachers are hard to find. “To find a heavy equipment operator instructor back in 2014 was on the verge of impossible, but we found the best. Mr. V (Mike Verasstro) was a heavy equipment operator in the Seabees (look it up, well worth your time), and a national heavy equipment rodeo winner, so we got the very best. For seven years he led and built this program, retiring three years ago due to health reasons. Enrollment in this program is now full because of him.” 

We now have 60 students who are training in a very unique program. Goochland County Public Schools (GCPS) is one of only two school divisions in Virginia offering Utility/Heavy Construction courses that prepare students for careers as construction equipment operators.   

The instructor will teach essential industry skills, including OSHA standards, job site safety, equipment inspections, site grading, excavation, concrete structures, pipe laying, and road construction. In the second-year course, students will expand their knowledge through soil studies, blueprints and topographic map interpretation, and hands-on operation of bulldozers, backhoes, excavators, and skid steers. Additionally, the instructor will build relationships with industry partners, promote work-based learning opportunities, and support students in securing apprenticeships during their senior year. This role provides a unique opportunity to prepare students for high-demand careers in the construction industry.  

If you know of a good candidate, reach out to Bruce Watson at bwatson@glnd.k12.va.us or call him at 804-556-5613. More details can be found here.