CCHS students gain credentials at Project Purpose GET2Work boot camp

Published 5:45 pm Monday, March 20, 2023

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A group of Colquitt County High School students gained and honed skills in a local multi-business-supported workforce readiness boot camp last week.

The Project Purpose GET2Work Boot Camp was held in partnership with Southern Regional Technical College, the Moultrie Chamber of Commerce, and the Moultrie-Colquitt Development Authority and allowed students to participate in two job training tracks – manufacturing and hospitality.

Over five days, the students completed various training courses led by local professionals. Jennifer Mitchell, EdD, the PCOM South Georgia assistant director of diversity and community relations, was one of the instructors for the week.

“This week was a great experience to get to know the students and what they want to do after high school,” she said in an interview Friday.

Mitchell led the students through skill-building courses on conflict resolution, soft skills, and resume building.

“They created a toolkit on conflict resolution practicing to listen to understand rather than to immediately respond,” Mitchell explained.

Her conflict resolution class was a favorite among some of the students like La’Kya Hill and Ivey Conger. Both students pursued the hospitality track during the boot camp. Conger’s favorite part of the camp was the food safety course called ServSafe while Hill’s favorite course was conflict resolution.

“I had a great time learning skills I didn’t know and building on ones I already knew,” Hill responded when asked how she enjoyed the boot camp. Hill wants to attend SRTC for one semester and transfer to a four-year college in the Spring semester after she graduates from CCHS.

Gage Tatum and Aden Eubanks took the manufacturing track and exited the course with a new credential to add to their resume. Both received Class 6 industrial forklift licenses after completing their OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certification course.

Tatum explained the on-site OSHA instructors were great, hands-on and critical.

Eubanks agreed, saying his experience started off rocky but he was grateful to have the opportunity to attend the camp. He hopes to achieve a career in welding after graduating high school and believes the OSHA certification and boot camp will help him achieve his goals.

A luncheon celebration was held Friday afternoon for all the camp students. CCSD Superintendent Ben Wiggins, CCHS Principal Dan Chappuis, Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce President Tommie Beth Willis, Dana Lewis with Southern Regional Technical College and Anna Ford with the Moultrie-Colquitt Development Authority welcomed and briefly spoke to the students.

“I am extremely encouraged by this group of students. You all are future leaders of this community and the next layer of our workforce,” Willis told the students.

Lewis and Chappuis acknowledged each student’s achievements with a boot camp completion certificate. All students that successfully participated in the GET2WORK Boot Camp include:

Manufacturing Track

• Salvador Montelongo earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and Industrial Forklift License (class 6).
• Aden Eubanks earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and an Industrial Forklift License (class 6). He completed courses in soft skills and resume writing.
• Jordan Jones earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and Industrial Forklift License (class 6).
• Brandon Perez-Aparicio earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and Industrial Forklift License (class 6). He completed courses in soft skills and resume writing.
• Gage Tatum earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and an Industrial Forklift License (class 6). He completed courses in soft skills and resume writing.
• Nathanael Guerra earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and completed courses in soft skills and resume writing.
• Braulio Vazquez earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and completed courses in soft skills, resume writing and conflict resolution.
• Fabian Montes earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and completed courses in soft skills, resume writing and conflict resolution.
• LesLee Roberts earned a General Industrial Safety and Health certificate and completed courses in soft skills, resume writing and conflict resolution.

Hospitality Track

• La’Kya Hill and Ivey Conger completed courses in soft skills and Resume Writing. They received training in ServSafe and conflict resolution.

The manufacturing students will have a make-up training course on industrial maintenance Thursday due to the CCHS water issue closure last Wednesday.

To learn more about Project Purpose please visit www.projectpurposega.com.