NECS Summer 2025 Newsletter

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NEW ENGLAND CRANE SCHOOL

Summer 2025

Recipes for exam success

We’re proud of our 83% NCCER written exam pass rate for those who take our full five-day prep class! Our lead instructor, Mark Kenney, knows a lot about how adults learn and that makes all the difference in how he teaches. But whether you’re the operator candidate or the person who books the operator candidate, there’s plenty you can do to help.

Tips for supervisors:

If your operator is doing the short/recert class, make sure you give them their study packages as soon as possible after you receive them! There’s a lot of material in those packages, they will need to have time with them.
Don’t add to their stress level. Be supportive, and don’t say things like, “You’d better pass.” Test anxiety is a real thing, and many people suffer from it. It affects performance.
For the long/rookie class, unless your operator candidate is very local, book them in a nearby hotel so they don’t have to spend a lot of time driving every morning and evening. (For classes held in hotel conference rooms, we usually have a discounted rate for that hotel. Call and ask).
Does your operator have a learning disability, reading comprehension issue, or speak English as a second language? Consider tutoring. We offer this on an hourly basis, either in our office or in yours.

Tips for operators:

For the short/recert class, make sure you get your study package from your supervisor or whoever booked your class as soon as possible. Do all the reading, practice tests and load chart problems in advance, and come to class prepared with questions. You only get one day with the instructor, so make the most of it.
For the long/rookie class, plan your week with as few distractions as possible. Staying in a nearby hotel is a really good idea, especially if you live in a hectic household and/or would have a long drive to class.
Don’t stay up all night studying the night before your exam! A good night’s sleep will do you more good than extra studying at this point.
During the written exam, read the question carefully! Don’t skim - you will miss important details. But don’t do “brain surgery” on the questions either. Don’t go back, over and over, and second guess yourself. There is a sweet spot between reading carefully and reading too much into it.

“They all passed. So nice to have an entire group that could really control the crane. My cones are so lonely. Not even one kiss in two days.”

– Bob Wheeler, NECS practical examiner

Recently, an ESL operator from Sousa Signs received a 76 on his written exam, which is four points below a passing score. He studied hard for his second attempt, but then received an even lower score, a 67. Test anxiety and a high level of second guessing can easily cause that – it’s hard enough to learn English as a second language without piling a prep class and a tough written exam in English on top of it. We offered tutoring, and after a four-hour one-on-one session with our lead instructor Mark, the operator passed with an 85 on his third attempt.

Recharging at the NECS retreat

For the majority of our customers, summer is the busy time. That means for us, it’s the relatively slow time. This year, we took advantage of the down time to rest, relax and recharge with a Colorado company retreat.

All five of us spent a late June week in Breckenridge, which is just next door to where our owner lives. Mornings were for planning, and we worked on our upcoming trip to the Utility Expo in October, our new CCO recertification class, our new class location at CRW Woods in Vermont, and the new certification categories we will soon be able to offer through NCCER – overhead crane, tower crane, service mechanic truck and articulating boom. We hope to have these up and running by early 2026.

In the afternoons, we got out for some fun! Bob went fly fishing every day. Desiree and Heather checked out the shops in Breckenridge. Mark drank beer, Anna drank wine, and everyone ate too much junk food. We went boating on the Dillon Reservoir, checked out some wild west mining history, tried summer dog sledding with Good Times Adventures, rode the mountain coaster at Copper Mountain, did a pub crawl, and aced an escape room called Murder Mystery Dinner in 20 minutes less than an hour. (This is a pretty smart crew.) .

Getting everyone together for recreational down time is an important part of team building, and if you take the time to do it, it will make a difference to team performance. We know most of you don’t have time in the summer. But now is the time to think about getting your crew together in your winter off-season. Employees who spend non-work time together get to know each other better. That develops trust. People who trust each other spend less time second guessing motivations and questioning each other’s intentions, and more time getting stuff done.

CCO operators, do you need recert options?

We have a new class offering, a three-day CCO recert class. It includes two days of classroom preparation for your CCO recert exams, in any category, and a third day for written exams. Only unexpired CCO recert candidates who have met the 1000-hour seat time requirement to waive practical exams are eligible to recertify in this class. The price is $1650.00 and our first class is scheduled for November 5 – 7, 2025 in Dover, NH. Email Desiree to register. Timing doesn’t work but you still need help prepping for your CCO written recert exams? Reach out to us to schedule one-on-one tutoring. Desiree@NewEnglandCraneSchool.com.


	New England Crane School 2025 Season Schedule

August 25, 2025
Qualified signal person and basic rigging, Dover, NH

August 25 - 29, 2025
NCCER rookie/long operator cert class, Dover, NH
This class is meant for rookies or people who need more classroom prep time. We can also modify it for experienced operators who still need to get certified

September 22, 2025
Qualified signalperson and basic rigging, Montpelier, VT at Associated General Contractors of Vermont

September 22 - 26, 2025
NCCER rookie/long operator cert class, Montpelier, VT at Associated General Contractors of Vermont
This class is meant for rookies or people who need more classroom prep time. We can also modify it for experienced operators who still need to get certified

October 13 - 17, 2025
NCCER rookie/long operator cert class, Shawmut Equipment in S. Easton, MA
This class is meant for rookies or people who need more classroom prep time. We can also modify it for experienced operators who still need to get certified

October 20 - 24, 2025
NCCCO operator cert class, Shawmut Equipment in S. Easton, MA
This class is not for rookies! Experienced operators only.

November 19, 2025
Qualified signal person and basic rigging, Portland, ME

November 20 - 21, 2025
NCCER recert/short operator cert class, Portland, ME
This class is meant for re-certifying operators, or operators who are looking for a fast-track option and are willing to study on their own.

December 8 – 12, 2025 – New location!
NCCER rookie/long operator cert class, Wood’s CRW Corp in Williston, VT
This class is meant for rookies or people who need more classroom prep time. We can also modify it for experienced operators who still need to get certified.

November 5 – 7, 2025 – New class offering!
NCCCO recertification class, Dover, NH
This class is only for CCO recertification candidates who have not yet expired and who have met the 1000-hour requirement to waive practical exams. It includes two days of classroom preparation plus written recert exams on the third day.

For more information or to register:
email Desiree@NewEnglandCraneSchool.com
or visit www.newenglandcraneschool.com

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