The SCILL Center auto tech class is in full swing, with more than 50 kids taking the class split between morning and afternoon sessions. SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado says their enrollment is up this year from roughly 40 kids last year, but that’s not the only good news coming from the center.
Gurrado says they’ve also begun their welding vocational classes with a full enrollment. He says the class started on Aug. 14, and boasts a total of 16 students for its first year. On Sept. 10, the welding lab will host adult welding classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, which Gurrado says will ultimately end with a certification test for the students. Gurrado says this is a very important class, as there is an acute need for welders in this area, the immediate surrounding area, and nationally.
Gurrado says the center isn’t quite content with that, as they’ll soon be offering additional welding classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for welders interested in upgrading their skills or getting certified, and the center has plans to offer adult welding classes in the evenings.
Further, Gurrado says they’re also planning on working with Vincennes University in offering a Commercial Driver’s License program to train people in operating trucks. He says the course would assist those interested in earning a CDL. The six-week program would consist of two weeks spent learning in a classroom setting, followed by two weeks of operating a truck in a parking lot or other safe area, and the final two weeks would consist of learning on the road. However, because of the size of the rig, Gurrado says the class will only be able to hold four students at any time, as the rig can only hold a total of five people including the instructor.
Finally, Gurrado says the center has also become a GED testing site, and as soon as the center receives their testing materials, they will begin conducting tests for those who wish to earn their General Education Diploma.
