By Cameron Walker
Laramie Boomerang, Aug. 31, 2017

Climb Wyoming Program Director Katie Hogarty said Climb Wyoming will start its training for single mothers Sept. 27 to find employment in the medical field.

“We found out that there is a high demand and a high need for some trained medical employees,” Hogarty said. “We are doing an intro to medical careers training that will encompass (medical office administration), first responder training, medical terminology, (emergency medical technician) training so that small medical offices could use these employees to help check in patients … and those types of things.”

Climb previously hosted trainings traditionally dominated by men such as truck drivers and heating and ventilation technicians. Climb chose these trainings based on recommendations from employment partners to see what they are going to look for in future employees, she said.

“The past two trainings that we have done have been nontraditional trainings,” Hogarty said. “Last fall, we did a heating, ventilation and air conditioning service technician training. In the spring, we did a CDL class B truck driving training.”

Thousands of women throughout Wyoming — 245 women in Laramie — have gone through Climb trainings, with the majority of the participants graduating from the programs. After graduation, the average income increased from $953 per month to $1,870 per month, Communications Director Shannon Brooks Hamby said.

“Eighty-nine percent of single moms that enter a Climb Wyoming program successfully graduate the program,” Brooks Hamby said. “On average, the women that come to Climb — about half are unemployed and about half are employed but they are working part time or they are working in really lowwage jobs with no benefits.”

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