A program funded by the federal government is allowing a Seymour trucking business to train unemployed military veterans for high-demand jobs.
The Allstate Commercial Driver Training School on Pearl Street offers programs for obtaining Commercial Driver’s Licenses.
And through a program called the the Veteran Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), unemployed veterans between the ages of 35 and 60 can apply for up to $1,564 per month for 12 months to pursue job training in the field.
Getting a license won’t take nearly that long though — it’s a 15-week program at 24 hours of instruction per week.
And those who graduate don’t have much trouble finding employment, according to Chris Maiorano, the school’s assistant director.
“Even now, despite the economy, there’s always driving jobs,” he said.
The jobless rate for veterans was about 7 percent in 2012, according to the federal government. The rate is higher for younger vets.
Click here to read more about the VRAP from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
Maiorano said the business’ program is perfect for veterans looking to enter a high-demand occupation like driving a tractor-trailer.
About a dozen veterans are in the school’s training schedule at any particular time, he said.
In addition to the money veterans can get for training, companies who hire them can get tax breaks, said Jason Coppola, veterans employment representative with the state’s Department of Labor.
Click here to read more about those programs.
Coppola said veterans he’s referred to the school usually have no problem getting hired after graduating.
“We’ve just had excellent success,” he said.
All-State was founded in 1975 in Bridgeport before moving to Shelton in the early 1990s and then recently to Seymour.
Students learn in the classroom and practice maneuvering heavy vehicles on-site in the company’s spacious back lot, with trailers arranged to test all the necessary — and complicated — skills.
Graduates of the school’s training program can even be tested for their licenses on premises — the DMV sends inspectors to the school at exam time.
And job prospects for the industry are great, despite the sluggish overall economy, Maiorano said.
“There’s huge demand,” he said. “When it comes to Class A, over-the-road jobs, cross-country to places like California, Arizona, Montana, for those positions, that’s about as close as you’ll get to a guaranteed job.”
Employers need dependable drivers so much that they’ll send bus tickets to students on graduation day, Maiorano said, to hire at jobs starting around $40,000 per year.
“If you really need to work, there’s jobs there,” he said. “As long as they do their jobs, they’re on time and they’re safe, everybody’s happy.”
Even for those shying away from long-haul jobs, he said.
A person could drive a food or oil truck, for instance, and while the environment for prospective drivers in those positions is more competitive, Maiorano said, people can still get jobs as long as they aren’t too picky.
“There’s a lot of stuff out there,” he said. “There is still a good amount of opportunity. (But) You need to get experienced. A seasoned truck driver could be making $60,000 to $70,000 a year, comfortably.”
The speed at which vets can get jobs makes the program a no-brainer, Maiorano added.
“To take a week or two to get a job when you don’t have any ‘ins’ is pretty normal,” he said.
