Opening the door to opportunity with a forklift
Ivy Tech, Gilead House partner to offer credentials to residents; a second chance realized
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Last month, 16 women earned certifications in forklift operation from Ivy Tech Community College in Kokomo. It may not sound noteworthy, but for those women – all of them residents of the Gilead House – it opened the door for a second chance at success in life.
The Gilead House offers free services and resources, primarily to women, to help those who have suffered from addiction rehabilitate and re-enter society following incarceration. For them, a single certification can be a stepping stone to something much bigger.
LaTonya Armstrong, dean of the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Applied Science (AMEAS) at Ivy Tech’s Kokomo campus, explained the unusual way she made a connection to Gilead house and its founder, Reb Harris.
“I live on Sycamore Street, and the Gilead House is on Sycamore; I drove past every day,” said Armstrong. “I drove by one day, and there were people out there barbecuing. It smelled wonderful. I wondered who the women were and what Gilead House was.
“I was told about Gilead House, so I called up Miss Reba and asked to meet with her – not to get any barbecue. Once I found out what Gilead House was, I knew it was something I have affinity for. I thought there was a way I could help. We talked, and I asked what Ivy Tech could do.”
From the conversations with Harris, Armstrong arranged to have the women of Gilead House come to the campus to see all the possibilities the college could offer.
“We did a red carpet day,” said Armstrong. “We brought in 13 women and talked about the programs we offer. We talked to Stellantis, and they gave a presentation about their requirements and expectations for employment. We had workforce development there as well. And we gave the women a campus tour.
“From that meeting, we sparked our first certification class. I believe in micro-wins; those small accomplishments that can lead to a whole host of possibilities. Forklift certification is a one-day process, and that can get your foot in the door to a lot of places.”
Harris explained how impactful that red carpet day was for the women of Gilead House.
“We were there all day and got to see a lot of different programs,” said Harris. “It was a chance for ‘my girls’ to understand the opportunities they can have at Ivy Tech and to learn they don’t have to be afraid to go to college.
“At the end of the day, many of the women said the visit had given them hope. That was exactly what I was hoping to gain. Mission accomplished!”
Building on that hope, Ivy Tech and Armstrong arranged for the women to attend forklift certification training on Dec. 14 and 17. It was made possible by a grant from the Circle of Ivy, a philanthropic organization within the college led by women.
“We got 16 women certified, and now we have a wait list for more,” said Armstrong. “Miss Reba saw the opportunity, and she flew to it. I told her we had the funding to train 12 women, initially. She came to me with 14 women, and then 16 women, and then 26 women. God bless you, Miss Reba! We only had enough to train 16, but we will find a way to train the rest.”
Armstrong explained that the college is also working to provide basic computer training for the Gilead House women.
“It’s another barrier that we can try to eliminate in a short time,” said Armstrong. “This is opening a whole host of opportunities. And it has opened their minds. A lot of the ladies talked with us about the fact that they never thought about going to college.
“This is a pathway to get them into the doors they desire to enter. We can get them into automotive training. Some were interested in welding, in machine tooling. Some were interested in dentistry. Some were interested in surgical tech. They saw what we could offer. My goal is to get them into classes and into certificate programs. I would love to see these women graduate from Ivy Tech for certifications and an AAS (Associate of Applied Sciences). That is my ultimate goal.”
The forklift certification had an added bonus that none of the women realized at first. They are now Ivy Tech students.
Once they become an Ivy Tech student, they are afforded all the opportunities to have our career services folks work with them on resume writing, mock job interviews … the skills they need to help land a career,” said Armstrong. “These folks just need a second chance; sometimes we all do. If there is a way for Ivy Tech to provide that, I’m definitely open to whatever I can do to help manifest that.”