Climb’s single moms use advanced tools and technologies to change their families’ lives and contribute to Wyoming’s workforce.
With its dashboard of buttons, levers, and hydraulics, the forklift is a machine that takes hours of technical training to master. At the latest Warehouse Inventory training in Casper, participants practiced lifting and moving large boxes and tires up to 30 feet in the air. They also practiced backing up and maneuvering around cones to fine-tune their work in tight quarters and fast-paced warehouses.
Four consecutive Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) trainings in the Sweetwater Area are helping address a severe CNA shortage statewide, especially in long-term care. The 99-hour training exceeds federal requirements and includes skills like monitoring patients’ hearts and lungs with a stethoscope. “I think that I’m probably the only director of nursing in the state of Wyoming who isn’t short of CNAs all the time,” says Sara Allison, who has hired several Climb graduates at the Sage View Care Center in Rock Springs. “We’re very thankful for Climb!”
Familiarity with QuickBooks™ software can jumpstart careers in bookkeeping and accounting… and lead to higher wages! This skill is increasingly sought by employers in the Teton Area and was a focus of the recent Office Careers training there. In addition, moms who take this type of training learn to use the Microsoft® Office suite of programs and have even taken apart computer hard drives, something that builds expertise and makes the machines less intimidating to operate.
The recent Intro to Construction Trades training in Cheyenne was action-packed with technical skills, including how to use welding torches to cut and connect complex electrical pipefitting systems. The moms also earned their Commercial Driving certifications and received OSHA, technical math, and forklift training. Starting wages after this program are as high as $21 an hour with a wide range of employers, including the Union Pacific Railroad.