WTOC Skilled to Work: Ogeechee Tech offering classes at night and on weekends
Posted on Sep 09, 2020 at 13:05 PM
Ogeechee Tech offering classes at night and on weekends
By Dal Cannady | September 8, 2020 at 5:07 PM EDT - Updated September 8 at 6:44 PM
EVANS COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Vocational training can help plenty of people move to better careers.
But some students can feel trapped if they work when that training’s offered.
Shanequa Cooper already knows a few things about the roads. She drives from Savannah to Ogeechee Tech’s Evans County campus to study truck driving for her next career.
“I decided one day that I really wanted my CDL, but I’ve always had a passion for big trucks,” said Cooper.
Instructors have the students parallel parking trucks and critiquing how they did, down to a few inches. With a pandemic bringing a surge of online shipments and deliveries, the demand for drivers has jumped.
“Everything that moves in the world, moves by truck. There are employers that come here to recruit, they’re constantly looking for new drivers,” said Instructor Larry Jarriel.
While perspective students want a new career, they can’t leave their current daytime job to for the training. Ogeechee Tech figured out an alternative.
To keep up with demand, they’ve expanded so you can still take the weekday course here in Hagan, or you can take it on weeknights, or you can attend just two days a week on the weekend at the Screven County campus.
Jarriel says the weekend schedule will take longer than the usual seven weeks, but it could be the difference for someone looking to advance in a new career like Shanequa.
“The instructors are amazing. They teach you. You’re only in the classroom for a week. After that, you’re out here on this pad, consistently working. They’re hands on with you at all times.”
That training, no matter what time or what days you take it, would certainly make you Skilled to Work.
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