Twenty-four students from Washington D.C.’s Potomac Job Corp Center recently completed a 40-hour training course on hazardous materials awareness and train-the-trainer as part of IAM CREST’s and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM)’s Advanced Transportation Training Program.
“These young people are just starting out in various trades, from railroads, to planes, and some may even go into the military,” said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett, who attended the training and met with students. “The IAM and TCU/IAM are proud of them for completing this industry recognized training which teaches safety around hazardous materials they may encounter on their journeys into various careers.”
Students at this job corps site are learning how to be the best candidates for entry level jobs in various trades. And thanks to this partnership, these students also get to see the value that unions bring to the transportation careers they are seeking.
View photos from the visit here.
“This is our first opportunity to work with Job Corps, Potomac here in Washington, D.C. to train young workers,” said TCU/IAM National President Artie Maratea. “We hope to expand to the other six TSD program sites across the nation soon. We understand the need to teach these workers that hazardous materials can be anywhere on the job, and we want them to be leaders on how to keep themselves and their co-workers safe from harm, especially in the transportation industries.”
Job Corps helps 60,000 young people each year obtain vocational training from the U.S. Department of Labor. Over 2 million students have been served since its inception in 1962.
“These young people are impressive, because you see that many of them are already leaders that just need a chance to get out there and lead,” said IAM CREST Safety Instructor Barry Eveland. “Having a certification like this shows a prospective employer that they go above and beyond their peers to earn a job opportunity. Several of them already have multiple job offers once they complete the entire program.”
Tanya Galloway wants to be a flight attendant. Her vision board in the hallway is filled with aspirations of a young adult ready to see the world.
Denita Larmore already has two job offers, and is deciding which is the better opportunity. Look for her at an airport in the near future. With her potential, you may see her running a space port one day.
All the students in this class of future leaders are on a launchpad with the countdown clock ticking toward liftoff. Each takes a part of organized union labor with them when they set off on journeys that can lead to places we can probably not even imagine yet.
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