JobSight Services Help Jacob Howard Obtain CDL and Get to Work
Jacob Howard is no stranger to the commercial trucking industry. His family has been in it since he can remember, so it was a natural move for him when he decided to go for his commercial driver’s license (CDL) and begin working, too.
“My family has always been in the trucking industry, and they talked me into trying to get my CDL,” Howard said.
Howard, who was 19 years old at the time, was enrolled in Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s electrical program in June 2022 when he decided that obtaining his CDL would be a good idea and allow him to work as a driver while in school. A friend referred him to the Northeast Kentucky Career Center JobSight in Olive Hill, and it wasn’t long after that he was preparing to begin work.
A partner in the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, Northeast provides Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services in Carter, Elliott, and Lawrence counties under contract with Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP). Those services include programs for adults, dislocated workers, and youth between the ages of 18 and 24 who may need assistance honing skills such as résumé building or networking with local employers, or who need assistance being retrained or going to school.
For Howard, JobSight’s services included his enrollment into its WIOA Youth program in Olive Hill, where he began working with expert Career Advisor Stephanie Kitchen. While he was enrolled, Kitchen certified his eligibility for WIOA services, determined his career goals, and began work to help him obtain a CDL.
“It was just a way for me to get my foot in the door to get my CDL,” Howard said. “It sounded like the best route for me to take at the time.”
Through JobSight’s Youth program, Kitchen was able to cover the cost of Howard’s CDL training and provide supportive services to reimburse him for the cost of the CDL permit. JobSight also assisted with transportation costs to and from the training provider in Lawrence County and covered the cost of obtaining the license.
Nearly three months after he first enrolled with JobSight, Howard began working with DNH Trucking, where he continues to work while also continuing his college education and studying electrical technology. And he said his experience working with Northeast was one he would recommend for others. It was easy to sign up and work with a career advisor, he noted, and he got a license and a job as a result.
“I could give them a call and they’d help me with anything on the needs list, really,” Howard said.
“It was a really good experience. I’d recommend it to anybody.”
If you’re interested in applying for career and employment services, visit jobsight.org/locations to find your nearest Kentucky Career Center JobSight.
EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for job seekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org or http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.
