Skills training is great, but without a paycheck it’s just a pipe dream for most people, says Bo Drake, the vice president of Economic and Workforce Development at Chattanooga State Community College.
“People can’t give up the work they’re doing now to get the training they need if they can’t buy diapers and put gas in the car,” Drake says. “You can give them all the training in the world, but they have to be able to support themselves.”
To bridge that gap, Drake is replicating a successful program he developed in his previous role at a community college in Indiana. With funding from the Benwood Foundation and a commitment from six local manufacturers that they would interview and hire program graduates, the Skill Up program launched in April 2019 on the campus of Chattanooga State.
Over six weeks, graduates of the program earned 56 nationally recognized credentials from the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council. They attended school every weekday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., earning $12.50 an hour, and had opportunities to meet with prospective employers.
Of the 15 students who started the program, 13 graduated. Two of those moved on without accepting jobs, but 11 found spots with local employers.