By ERICA MILLER

Canadian Valley

Technology Center

Since 2005, three major plant closings dealt a devastating blow to more than 1,000 area workers who were left jobless after announcements came from Arvin Meritor, Dayton Tire and Delta Faucet that they would be closing their doors.

Disbelief, devastation and uncertainty were on the minds of Arvin, Delta and Dayton employees when they learned their jobs would soon be gone as a result of reduction, consolidation and relocation. For many dislocated workers, that fear gradually opened to the idea of going back to school for re-training. Fortunately, most employees of the two plants qualified for Trade Adjustment Assistance, giving them the financial means to attend school.

Over the past three years, nearly 200 people, ranging in ages from 20 to 70, have taken advantage of their new opportunity by enrolling in one of Canadian Valley Technology Center’s full-timea career programs. For many, the plant closings were a blessing in disguise, an opportunity for adults who had known only one job to learn something new. It gave them an opportunity to challenge themselves. A common theme among these displaced workers was reluctance about going back to school, followed by careful consideration, to finally making the decision to take that leap of faith and enroll.

CV Tech – Responding to meet a community’s needs

The Canadian Valley Technology Center administration knew immediately they would need to prepare for the influx of displaced workers who would be acquiring information, shadowing, testing and enrolling in the months following the announcements of both plant closings.

Teresa Williams, financial aid officer at CV Tech, was often the first person potential students met at Canadian Valley. “I saw so many emotions coming from these people when I met with them,” Williams said. “Most had only known one job, and the thought of going back to school was terrifying for them. However, I also discovered that a lot of our students were excited at the idea of starting over and learning something new.”

Though the new students began enrolling in all of CV Tech’s full-time programs, there was an extremely high interest in the Business Office Technology program. This program focuses on teaching students computer fundamentals and basic programs such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as bookkeeping, filing and accounting skills.

In response to the large number of enrolled students, CV Tech formed a second Business Office Technology class in the summer of 2006, creating new slots for those people desiring computer and business-related training.

BOT II- Learning and adjusting together

With a new class offering came the need for a new instructor. KEYS Center tutor Kathy Winham had no prior teaching experience, but with her home-based business background and tech center experience, Winham decided to give teaching a try. Winham was hired and began her class in August of 2006 with 28 adult students, nearly all of whom were former employees of Arvin or Delta, some of them for more than 20 years.

“The experience we had was a unique one,” Winham said of her specially-created program. “It was an amazing experience, helping to guide these amazing people to reach goals they never even dreamed of having before now.”