Technicians of Tomorrow celebrated by CTC, Texas Ford Dealers
By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press
Friday afternoon, Central Texas College (CTC) celebrated the ongoing success of their Ford Technicians of Tomorrow (TOT) Program as they received two sizeable checks which will be used to make the program an even greater success.
Workforce Solutions of Central Texas gave CTC a check valued at $106,303 which was matched with an equal $106,303 from Texas Ford Dealers for a total of $212,206. The money was used to purchase training vehicles and equipment for the TOT program.
“This is an effort between Central Texas College, Ford Motor Companies, and the Texas Workforce Commission,” said Jim Yeonopolus, CTC Chancellor. “Ford has given us permission to use their curriculum. They have provided us with the vehicles, we hire the instructors, Texas Workforce Commission pays the tuition for the students, and we train them. At the end of the course, those who are successful get a [$4000] tool kit…It’s a great opportunity for the soldiers of Fort Hood.”
The Ford Technicians of Tomorrow Program is a 16-week accelerated technical program currently offered to help educate soldiers as they transition out of service. For the program, the soldiers will earn four Ford Certifications in electrical, brakes, climate control, and steering and suspension. Four of the 16 weeks are spent apprenticing at their sponsoring Ford dealership. Students who graduate will receive their starter toolkit worth about $4000 and a signed job offer at their sponsoring Ford dealer in Texas.
Linda Angel, Deputy Executive Director for Workforce Solutions of Central Texas, said that with the money donated, they were able to purchase five training vehicles and 14 classroom tool kits. She said that this will help the students with working to break and repair vehicles using the same tools and vehicles that they will be using in their careers.
“It’s so that they will be trained using the exact latest equipment with the exact tools that they will be using when they go to work,” said Angel. By giving them the tool kit at the end of the program, Workforce hopes to give them an extra helping hand to make sure that they will be successful after graduation rather than starting out in debt.
“The key is to get them a great job, one that’s stable and pays a good salary,” said Angel. “And we want to make sure that their transition goes smoothly…That transition out of the military is very hard…A program like this is just to help them stand up and move forward.”
“I’m totally committed to working to help our soldiers and their families to be able to transition into the work force,” said Jonathan Cuff, Parts and Service Operations Manager for Ford Motor Company. “Ford’s ultimate goal with Technicians of Tomorrow is to ultimately help our soldiers transition into the civilian workforce by helping train them, by providing them with the tools they need to conduct their job and providing them a job at the end of their term of service to their country.”
Cuff talked about the intense training that the soldiers will receive as part of their training at CTC. The four certifications that the soldiers will receive during their training will be invaluable to them in their careers, not only helping them to get a job, but to give them the foundation to build a long-term career for them to be able to provide for themselves as well as their families.
Jordan Moon is one of nine students in the TOT program who will be graduating in May. Moon said that he is still active duty and was looking for options upon exiting the military.
“I chose Ford because I’ve owned vehicles—owned Ford—and I am a mechanic myself. That’s what I’ve done in the Army,” said Moon. “It looked like a very good opportunity.”
Moon’s sponsorship is through a Ford dealer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He said that he is originally from the DFW area. He’s been in the military for six years and has been all over including overseas and is looking forward to going back to the DFW area and getting to live near his grandmother again.
Moon said that he is learning a lot and is enjoying most of the process. He said that there is a lot of online work and he’s helped several of his fellow soldiers with it, but there is a lot of hands-on work as well.
“The schooling aspect is so hands on. You aren’t just sitting there doing paperwork after paperwork…We have a learning aspect, but that might only be an hour or two and the rest—it’s all here,” said Moon gesturing at the automotive bay and all the vehicles and equipment. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”