Beyond the Diplo

needs to remain in that area. Industry opportunities abound across the U.S.

What are some of the ways to become a truck driver? Community colleges and truck driver schools offer the needed training. For military veterans who operated heavy-duty vehicles in the armed forces, there is a path to convert that experience into a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

“We have a major need for entry-level technicians and truck drivers,” says Ron Schwartz, director of staffing services at Penske’s Reading, Pennsylvania, headquarters. “We can take entry-level technicians and give them the tools they need to continue advancing with Penske. The drivers that we hire need at least two years of related driving experience.”

To learn more about diesel mechanic and truck driving opportunities across North America, visit Penske’s website.—BPT

Beyond the Diploma: Helping Teens Forge Their Futures

What’s the key to optimism? From a career standpoint, it’s having a vision where you see yourself climbing and thriving, and you know there will be a place in the world for your skills and knowledge. Unfortunately, there are many teens and young people who have a much bleaker vision of their futures. Ask them where they see themselves in five years, and they may shrug, draw a blank or get that tight feeling in their stomachs. They worry about living their lives adrift or being left behind.

It’s more prevalent than you may think. Approximately 5 million young people between the ages of 16 and 24 - or one out of seven - are not enrolled in school and are unemployed, according to the Social Science Research Council’s Measure of America

14 RuralLeaderMag.com | JANUARY 2018 report.

Within this problem, though, is an opportunity for these youth. The U.S. has a record 6 million job openings, even as 6.8 million Americans are looking for employment.

Two groups have come together to help young people pursue these in-demand jobs by providing resources to prepare them for college and their careers. Through a $3 million partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Hartford will help develop the next generation’s workforce by creating 30 college and career centers in the next three years. The centers will be built in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, reaching 70,000 teens per year. Continued on page 21

Caption 1: Brenda Wolgamott (left) and her daughter, Marin, enjoy time together on their ranch in Lockwood, California.