Career transition can be a stressful experience for anyone. The task can be incredibly intimidating for people in their 60s. When Douglas was laid off from a process support position at that age, he knew he wanted to keep working but was unsure what to do next. That’s where the Dislocated Worker Program through CareerForce and the Minnesota Rural Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) came in.

“I was able to get the training and assistance to get my CDL through the help of the CareerForce staff that will keep me working for ten or fifteen more years,” he said.

A CDL is a Commercial Driver’s License, and workers who hold one are in high-demand in Minnesota and elsewhere. Douglas leveraged financial aid through the Dislocated Worker program to enroll in a ten week driver’s education course in Hibbing. He landed a job driving tanker trucks to and from North Dakota, earning $18 per hour and close to $30 per hour for overtime. He likes driving so much he even drives chartered buses when he’s not driving tanker trucks.

“I knew the jobs were in high demand due to a shortage of drivers,” Douglas said about working as a truck driver. “More than anything, I saw it as a good-paying job that I can do until I am 80!”

Read Douglas’ full story on the RMCEP website.

Find out how CareerForce could help you get on the road to career success by contacting staff at a location near you.