07/30/08 - Jackson

Career Express Graduation
By: Holly Deasy
 
Twenty-one West Tennesseans are on the road again, after graduating from the Career Express Program. The commencement ceremony took place at Macedonia Baptist Church in Jackson Wednesday afternoon.

The program provides job training to those who are pursuing careers in the highway construction industry. Its target population includes those who are unemployed, recent high school graduates, dropouts, and ex-offenders.

"We've had 70% placement so far. Hopefully, we'll have 95% placement throughout the state," says coordinator Malcolm Wallace.

Graduates say the program has done wonders for them. "It's great," says graduate Richard Jones. "We appreciate what they've done, and I hope it continues."

The Career Express Program is funded through a grant from LeMoyne Owen Community Development Corporation. It has five training sites in Tennessee, including Jackson, Memphis, and Nashville.