CAREER PATHWAY • TRENCHLESS CONSTRUCTION

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Operator Specialist

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Operator Specialist

Master the equipment, technology, and techniques used to install underground utilities without disrupting roads, neighborhoods, or the environment.

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01

Hands-On Equipment

Train with professional machinery.

02

Certifications

Build job-ready credentials.

03

Jobsite Simulations

Practice field processes safely.

04

Career Placement

Step confidently into the trade.

05

High-Demand Trade

Build tomorrow’s infrastructure.

Building Underground Infrastructure Without Digging Trenches

HDD Operators install fiber, telecommunications, electrical conduit, water services, gas pipelines, sewer force mains, renewable energy systems, and municipal utilities beneath roads, rivers, railroads, and landscapes—without open-cut trenching.

PLAN

→

DRILL

→

REAM

→

PULLBACK

→

RESTORE

What You’ll Learn

01

HDD Fundamentals

Trenchless principles, plans, bore path design, equipment setup, and soil conditions.

02

Drill Operation

Machine controls, steering, thrust, rotation, drill rods, and daily inspections.

03

Locating & Tracking

Walk-over systems, sonde tracking, depth verification, bore corrections, and utility avoidance.

04

Fluids & Pullback

Bentonite mixing, mud recycling, reaming, product installation, and tension management.

Inside the Drill Rig

Explore the key systems an HDD Operator monitors to steer accurately, protect utilities, and deliver a successful bore.

Operator Controls

Manage thrust, rotation, and bore pace.

Drill Rods

Transfer power and guidance underground.

Mud System

Supports bore stability and carries cuttings.

Tracking Electronics

Keep the drill head on a safe path.

Build the Underground Networks That Keep Communities Connected

Build the Underground Networks That Keep Communities Connected

Become part of one of the fastest-growing sectors in infrastructure by learning the skills to safely install underground utilities using advanced trenchless technology.

Apply Today

FUTURE - TECH ACADEMY

Building skills. Creating opportunities. Strengthening futures.

Future-Tech Academy, Inc. is an Illinois nonprofit organization focused on workforce development, hands-on training, industry-recognized credentials, and pathways to careers in the skilled trades and infrastructure industries.

Future-Tech Academy, Inc. | Illinois Nonprofit Organization | future-techacademy.org

Future STAARS is a youth-focused program of Future-Tech Academy, Inc.

© 2026 Future-Tech Academy, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FUTURE - TECH ACADEMY

Building skills. Creating opportunities. Strengthening futures.

Future-Tech Academy, Inc. is an Illinois nonprofit organization focused on workforce development, hands-on training, industry-recognized credentials, and pathways to careers in the skilled trades and infrastructure industries.

Future-Tech Academy, Inc. | Illinois Nonprofit Organization | future-techacademy.org

Future STAARS is a youth-focused program of Future-Tech Academy, Inc.

© 2026 Future-Tech Academy, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FUTURE - TECH ACADEMY

Building skills. Creating opportunities. Strengthening futures.

Future-Tech Academy, Inc. is an Illinois nonprofit organization focused on workforce development, hands-on training, industry-recognized credentials, and pathways to careers in the skilled trades and infrastructure industries.

Future-Tech Academy, Inc. | Illinois Nonprofit Organization | future-techacademy.org

Future STAARS is a youth-focused program of Future-Tech Academy, Inc.

© 2026 Future-Tech Academy, Inc. All Rights Reserved.