Find a job with Journal-News: get a new job in 5 weeks with this training program


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Looking for a job? Every Sunday, we’ll report on new job opportunities in the community including companies hiring, how to apply, training programs and other economic trends that can affect your job search.

Contact reporter Chelsey Levingston with suggestions at chelsey.levingston@coxinc.com. Also let us know if you land that job.

A new training program can put someone to work in a new job in less than two months, instructors say.

Butler Technology and Career Development Schools is starting a program for people to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License.

New classes start every two weeks beginning on April 7, said Jeff Travers, director of Butler Tech’s public safety education. Courses will be taught at Butler Tech’s 45-acre Public Safety Education Complex at 5140 Princeton Glendale Road/Ohio 747 in Liberty Twp.

Prospective students must be 18 years old to obtain a license to haul goods in Ohio only; and must be 21 years old to haul goods out-of-state, Travers said. To qualify for the program, potential students will need to pass a drug screening, complete a Department of Transportation physical and have a valid Ohio driver’s license, he said.

The new Commercial Driver’s License program lasts up to five weeks. Classes meet 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. In the future, plans are to offer night and weekend classes.

Students who complete the course will have the option to test for Class A, Class B or both licenses. Class A drivers are semi tractor-trailer drivers. Class B drivers are box and delivery truck drivers, Travers said.

Training consists of classroom time, driving simulators, and behind-the-wheel practice in trucks and tractor-trailers. Students will spend a minimum of 10 hours behind-the-wheel on Butler Tech’s driving range before hitting the road for between 10 to 30 hours of additional driving experience.

Licensed truck drivers are in high demand, Travers said. That’s due to an aging workforce and because “everything that we touch, everything that we have is delivered by a truck,” he said.

Starting annual pay for licensed truck drivers can range from $40,000 to $50,000 a year, he said.

In addition to good pay and benefits, there’s good job security, he said. Few other jobs are almost always hiring, he said.

“We can take somebody who’s maybe out of work, has been displaced, needs a second chance, (and) we can put them behind a wheel,” he said. “We can transition them from being out of work to having a job and furthering their education down the road.”

For more information about applying, and financing options to pay for the course, those interested can call 513-645-8350. Students can also email cdltraining@butlertech.org to learn more.

Butler County job fair April 2

This is a reminder about the upcoming job fair that Miami Regionals is hosting Wednesday, April 2.

The Butler County Job Fair, open to the public and to Miami University students, is 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday. It’s being held at the Miami University Hamilton campus, at the Harry T. Wilks Conference Center, 1601 University Blvd.

More than 50 area employers have confirmed participation such as AK Steel Holding Corp., Premier Health, various Butler County government departments, Home Depot and others.

This is the first job fair Miami Regionals has organized since 2008.

For more information about the upcoming job fair and other opportunities, go online to www.regionals.miamioh.edu/jobs or call 513-785-3113.

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