Jeffrey enrolled into the WIOA Adult program in mid-August of 2020. He had been unemployed for about six months due to oilfield closures during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When Jeffrey enrolled he was 49 and had spent most of his life working in the oilfield. With the oilfield being inconsistent and unstable, Jeffrey needed a way to provide for his family of six. Jeffrey came to the program interested in taking a truck driving training course to earn a CDL to provide a steady income for his family. WIOA staff worked to set up a plan with Jeffrey and got him enrolled in classes starting in early November. Jeffrey was able to complete the training and obtain his CDL within the month. Jeffrey was excited to use his CDL and felt like he could finally have some stability in his life but he met one of the most common barriers that newly graduated CDL drivers face, no work experience! Due to the dangerous nature of Truck Driving it is very hard to find work right out of school because most companies prefer 2 years of driving experience. After an extended job search Jeffrey started to get discouraged and further behind on his bills. A Talent Development Specialist (TDS) talked with Jeffrey about the potential for a Work Experience through one of the companies we partner with to get some experience driving and he was excited to learn that was an option even if it was only 520 hours or roughly 3 months. Jeffrey started a Work Experience using his CDL to drive big trucks for a County Barn in his area. Jeffrey got to drive the trucks and haul rock, sand and other things used in the maintenance of county roads. He learned a lot and got comfortable shifting the 16 gears that a large truck has. Jeffrey was a great employee and thankful for the opportunity and well liked at his worksite. He was disappointed as it was coming to a close. TDS and Jeffrey worked on a new resume for him to use in his job search and had plans for Jeffrey to attend an upcoming hiring event for CDL drivers. The next week Jeffrey called to say that when he asked for a letter of recommendation from the worksite to add to his resume, they said that they hated to lose him and wanted to offer him a permanent position with them. Jeffrey happily excepted and was excited to share the news with his TDS. He was so thankful for the opportunity to learn and be given a chance. He said he was so relieved to know that he had something steady and he would not have to worry about the inconsistencies of the oil field anymore. Jeffrey got training, work experience and peace of mind.
