EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - A crew is hard at work loading up dump trucks on a virtual jobsite as part of the Associated General Contractors of Vermont ’s newest piece of machinery -- a heavy equipment training simulator.

The simulator replicates the real deal with the same seat, controls, and safety features of a real excavator.

“It replicates the actual equipment usage, operator experience right to the tee. Yet you aren’t risking the big piece of equipment or the safety of those people out in the field with a new operator just learning,” said AGCVT’s Richard Wobby.

They bought the simulators with a $75,000 grant from the Vermont Department of Labor. Right now, they’re used for operator evaluations, where users are put in the hot seat and get a comprehensive score.

“Having the abi

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