During their meeting this week, the Knox Community School Board spotlighted the welding program. The newly-designed program is being taught in the Knox Middle School.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said Jerry Gurrado from the SCILL Center gave a report on the program which is getting off to a good start.
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.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has announced the employment of a new Water Superintendent for the city. Todd Gardner has been chosen and he has been the maintenance man for the LaVille School for the past five years and before that he was employed in the Maintenance Department at Ancilla College. He replaces Gordon Burger who has retired from the position. He has all of the proper licenses.
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa has been meeting with representatives from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, Jerry Hollenbaugh, North Central Area Vocational Director, and Jerry Gurrado, Director of the SCILL Center in Knox. Superintendent Gappa told the Knox Community School Board that the group has been meeting to coordinate welding classes to be conducted at the Knox Middle School.
“With just a little bit of work, our former wood shop in the Middle School could be converted to a welding class area,” said Superintendent Gappa. “What I was asking the Board was permission to continue those talks and the Board seemed pretty excited about the idea themselves. This could be a win-win, not only for the school, but for community and the businesses in the area because people learn how to weld, they would become employable and they could improve their skills in the places they do work. This is just our opportunity to work with the business community and the Economic Development Foundation.”
There’s some exciting news from the SCILL Center in Starke County. SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado is announcing plans to help provide GED courses, and make the center a testing site.
Part of the mission of the SCILL Center is to provide training for Starke County’s work force, and many times if prospective workers don’t have a high school diploma or GED certificate they can’t qualify for employment. Gurrado explained that a nearby GED test site would greatly benefit Starke County residents.
“We’re working very closely with the two GED centers here in Starke County to expand that program. We’ll very definitely market it better so more people know when it is and where it is and help make it available, and then most importantly from the SCILL Center point of view, we’re going to be a test site. So it saves Starke County residents from having to go to Valparaiso to take their test or, in some cases, you may complete your GED training and it’s maybe three weeks before you can get a test time in order to be able to take it, so we’re going to be able to offer that service,” said Gurrado.
A Ladies Car Care Clinic begins tonight at the SCILL Center in Knox.
“Rod Dawson and Mark Anderson had initiated that a number of years ago and we’re expanding it just a tad bit this year,” said SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado. “We’re going to be holding it evenings on October 25th and then a follow-up on November 8th, both from 6:00-8:00 p.m. There’s only a $5.00 donation for that.”
The SCILL Center is hosting a coat drive. Director Jerry Gurrado, said drop off sites are at the Oregon-Davis High School, Ray’s Super Foods in North Judson, Pioneer Florist in North Judson, Five Star in Knox, Key Bank in Knox, and Baileys.
“We’re still in the process of organizing the event, but people from Love, INC and a couple of other organizations are helping to work with us on maybe getting some church organizations, or volunteers from the community, to wash the coats and then we’ll have distribution sites. There will be no questions asked, whether it be children’s coats or adult coats. Come pick them up and take them. We’re happy to be able to help in any way we can,” said Gurrado.
SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado announced this week that there are still a few slots left for Junior or Senior area High School students or home schoolers who would be interested in taking the auto mechanics course. You will receive full accreditation in the highly competitive field of automobile mechanics while attending high school and receiving college credits.
Jerry Gurrado is the new Director at the SCILL Center in Knox. Jerry is no stranger to Knox and he talks about coming back to the area where he grew up.
“Harry Chapin had one of my favorite songs called “Circle” where he talks about how life’s a circle and it kinda comes back. I was born and raised here in Knox and in those last couple of years of high school I couldn’t wait to get out because there was nothing to do and now in my middle age I find myself back here,” said Gurrado.
WKVI News has learned that a Director for the SCILL Center in Knox has been hired and is on the job. Jerry Gurrado, a 1969 Knox High School graduate, has been at the facility since July 1st. In the past, he has primarily been in education, having been a successful basketball coach at several high schools in Indiana.
WKVI will have an extensive interview with Mr. Gurrado later this week.
