One of the most eye-opening parts of my conversation with Dave Turin was discussing how dramatically technology has changed mining and construction—and why America desperately needs more young people entering the trades.
15 Years of Revolutionary Change
"In just 15 years, I've watched technology completely transform how we work," Dave told me. When Gold Rush started, they were shooting aerial footage with helicopters because drones didn't exist yet.
Dave shared an incredible memory from season two. "I'm pushing with that little dozer, pushing overburden over a bank, and they had a helicopter. I'm literally five feet away from it—just running the machine and here goes that helicopter over the top. It was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever experienced."
Now? Drones are around every single day when filming. But it goes way beyond just cameras in the sky.
LIDAR Technology
Dave explained how drones now use LIDAR—Light Detection and Ranging—which removes vegetation and structures from aerial images, leaving just the bare ground surface. "It's a great prospecting tool," he said. "Even I've been fooled by a hundred-year-old tree thinking it was virgin ground. But with LIDAR, you can see where the ground's been turned up, test pits, test trenches."
Ground Penetrating Radar
Another game-changer is ground penetrating radar, which shows different soil densities as you go down. "With those tools now, you know: I've got to go down 10 feet to get through the permafrost, 20 feet of cobbles and river rocks, then I hit bedrock," Dave explained. "We never really had that before. We'd have to try to figure it out as we went."
GPS-Guided Equipment
For construction, GPS technology has revolutionized excavation. "Now you can get on a dozer and it's telling you you're two feet above grade as you're going," Dave said. "I've always run just from the feel of my machine. Now you've got computers and GPS that tell you where you're going to deposit material, how much, what rate. It's incredible."
Remote Operations for Safety
Dave also highlighted how remote operations are improving safety, especially in underground mining. "A lot of these guys now sit in a safe zone and they're mining on a face they just shot. There are always unstable rocks. Now a miner stands back in a safe room running that machine. You can take pictures of the roof and see what needs to be fixed. It keeps people safe."
The Coming Crisis in the Trades
But despite all this innovation, Dave's greatest passion might be advocating for the trades. And he's sounding an alarm that every construction company owner needs to hear.
"I've done some talks and research. The average age of our miner pool of workers is like 56 years old," Dave told me. "That's five, six, seven years away from retirement. And people aren't really excited about going into mining. It's the same with construction."
Two Paths, Two Different Outcomes
Dave gave me a powerful example from his own family. His nephew barely got through high school—struggled with focus and staying on task. He worked for the family business, built race cars for NASCAR, then started his own excavation company with a partner.
"He's probably got 40 or 50 employees doing probably 40 million dollars worth of work a year," Dave said. "He taught himself computers, GPS for his jobs—everything. The kid is just killing it."
Compare that to Dave's niece who went to college for four years, got a Bachelor of Arts degree, then realized she wanted to be a physical therapist assistant—another two years of school. Six years total before she started producing income.
Meanwhile, Dave's nephew went straight to work and bought his first house in about five years.
"The difference in those two—in income and status—is just incredible," Dave said. "And he's only one example of the people I've met in business that have become extremely successful."
Letter of Intent Ceremonies
One initiative Dave's passionate about is when businesses sponsor students at community colleges—paying for two years of trade school in exchange for two years of work.
"Think about the young men that sign a letter of intent to play football at a college," Dave said. "The amount of hype and excitement they get. Well, some community colleges do the same thing for trade students. They have signing ceremonies where businesses sponsor them and hand them their tuition package."
Dave attends these ceremonies and loves seeing how it builds these kids up. "Now all of a sudden they feel welcome into the industry. They feel like people care."
The Four-Year College Myth
"Four-year college isn't for everyone," Dave emphasized. "That used to be what everyone preached. Now I think kids are starting to see, and not just kids but adults, that that's not the way it has to go."
Dave's honest about his own experience: "I'll be honest with you—I think I could have been as successful with or without my engineering degree. I remember graduating, and my wife asked me, 'What's a civil engineer do?' I said, 'They sit at a desk in an office.' She looked at me and said, 'Do you really think you're gonna be able to sit at a desk for the rest of your career?' She was probably right."
A Well-Rounded Approach
Dave's advice for parents? Give kids a well-rounded education. He used his grandson as an example—a junior in high school with a 3.85 GPA who's been on mining sites in Alaska every year, running equipment and learning the business. But he's also taken auto classes, computer animation classes, and is building a 350 engine for his grandma's car. He has a 3D printer, sells things, and is an entrepreneur.
"I would hire him in a heartbeat because he's well-rounded, he can fix things, and plus he's really smart," Dave said. "Whatever he's gonna do, he's gonna be successful at it."
The Bottom Line
Talking with Dave, I was struck by the paradox: we have more technology than ever making jobs easier and safer, yet we're facing a massive labor shortage because young people aren't entering the trades.
The solution isn't just more technology—it's changing how we think about education and career paths. It's celebrating trade school graduates the way we celebrate athletes. It's recognizing that success comes in many forms, and a six-figure income from skilled trades beats student debt and an uncertain job market.
As a CPA working with construction companies across West Virginia, I see this crisis firsthand. Dave's right: America needs to wake up about the trades before it's too late.
Hear more from Dave Turin about the future of construction and mining on Constructive Conversations. Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.
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From Dozers to Gold: Dave Turin on Mining, Engineering, and the Trades (Part 1)
Construct-ive Conversations
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