Wyakin Foundation, a nonprofit organization for helping transition wounded veterans to successful and fulfilling civilian career paths, recently announced an expansion to their programming which now includes areas of skilled trades.
Prior to the expansion, veterans were encouraged to attend a four-year degree program to ready them for the civilian workforce, but the organization decided to grow its capabilities when it saw a need to address more career opportunities for veterans.
The new programming has opened a lot of doors for veterans who would not have found fulfillment in options provided by four-year degrees. The expansion now allows vets to attend a trade school or prepare for employment via an apprenticeship.
One of the areas identified by Wyakin Warriors is in CDL licensing. As the need for truck drivers continues to grow, the Wyakin Wheels Program has been developed to assist veterans with the training and licensing necessary to earn their CDL.
Over the years, the trucking Industry has found excellent candidates for employment from a pool of military veterans that have completed the Wyakin Foundation program. The attributes that make a great truck driver are often those of these military vets. Hardworking, dedicated, disciplined. There’s a lot of overlap here that makes this programming an obvious next step for the organization.
As the need for both the Wyakin Works and the Wyakin Wheels Program continues to flourish, Wyakin says there is a waiting list of veterans who would like to enroll in these programs to ready themselves for the civilian workforce.
“Like anyone else, veterans are not one size fits all. By expanding their program to include the various trades it will enable Wyakin to serve a broader group of veterans. Additionally, the increased number of Wyakin veterans will provide more opportunities for the heavy-duty industry to find talented candidates for high demand positions,” says Brandon Woodard, a Wyakin alum who is currently in operations management for the aftermarket parts warehouse for SAF-Holland.
