Asha Hirsi stands no more than five feet tall, but soon she will be behind the wheel of a big rig earning a commercial driver’s license through a customized truck driver training program at Fox Valley Technical College.
When I met Hirsi inside the J.J. Keller Transportation Center at FVTC, it was her first day of training. “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel,” she said, eyes gleaming. “I think it will be very exciting that day.”
I guess when you are forced to flee your home country and start over in a foreign land, not much intimidates you.
Hirsi is one of six refugees in Northeast Wisconsin currently steering toward family-sustaining employment in the transportation industry thanks to training through the Hidden Talent Project by the Bay Area Workforce Development Board and its partners.
The project, funded with more than $1.6 million from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, connects underrepresented populations with programs designed to assist them in reentering the workforce or improving their current employment situations.
DWD Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek said the funds are being used to connect Somali and Afghan refugees with employment opportunities for in-demand jobs like those in the transportation industry.
The program addresses a gap in the transportation industry by delivering specialized truck driver training to populations with untapped potential — to people like Hirsi, a refugee from Somalia.
Students in the program will complete 12 hours of permit class instruction and behind-the-wheel training with college instructors. When a student passes the final test, they will hold a Class A commercial driver’s license.
I spoke with Hirsi for the Insight on Manufacturing September cover story, coming out later this month, which will feature refugee employment programs and how employers are tapping this population to fill gaps in their workforce.
Overall it’s been a win-win for many employers and refugees like Hirsi, who said having the opportunity to earn a commercial driver’s license, despite its challenges, will be the fulfillment of a dream.
“If you have heart and you love it, you can do it,” she said. “I have passion … from the heart.”
