Civicorps Provides Young Adults with Education, Job Training

Through Civicorps, an East Bay program that offers young adults ages 18 to 26 with a path to a high school diploma and job training, young adults can gain the skills needed to work in a professional environment.

One of the opportunities offered through the program is the chance to be an apprentice as a garbage truck driver for Waste Management of Alameda County Inc. in California. As an apprentice, workers make up to $56,000 annually and learn the proper skills needed to land a part-time or full-time role. After serving as an apprentice, some workers go on to have a career in the field, making about $80,000 a year with full benefits and possible overtime pay.

San Francisco Chronicle has more details:

When he was a kid, Khris Bland wanted to be a garbage man.

“It looked so cool, hanging off the truck with their sunglasses on,” he said.

Then he grew up, had a child by age 20 and spent a stint in jail. He didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he knew what he needed to do.

 “I needed a job,” he said. “I needed to provide.”

He signed up for Civicorps, an East Bay program that offers young adults, ages 18 to 26, a path to a high school diploma, if they still need one, and job training — including a chance to learn how to drive large trucks and ultimately apprentice as a garbage truck driver for Waste Management of Alameda County Inc., before becoming a full-fledged and unionized garbage man.

Read the full story here.