COTTAGE GROVE – A handful of select Cottage Grove High School students got to become forklift-certified before they even graduate.
“Any one of these people can literally leave here this afternoon and go get hired, that fast,” said Jason Sievers, safety trainer at Overton Safety.
On March 26, Weyerhaeuser announced awards for their Giving Fund, granting South Lane School District’s CGHS $1,675 specifically for forklift training. According to Weyerhaeuser’s website, the fund prioritizes initiatives such as education, youth, and workforce development.
Joan Narsavich, CGHS Youth Transition Specialist, put the grant to immediate use. On April 15, Narsavich allowed students to kick-start their careers in the machine-operating field
The grant was utilized with the help of Creswell Toyota Lift – a material-handling equipment supplier, who donated the forklift for the school to train, and Overton Safety who provided written and hands-on training and certification for students.
Only 10 seniors got the opportunity to become forklift-trained and certified before they graduate. Qualifying students must be at least 18 years old and demonstrate an interest in the trades, according to Joan Narsavich, CGHS Youth Transition Specialist.
“Last year we did this three days before they graduated, in the first week of June, just so I had enough 18-year-olds,” said Narsavich. “When we look at potential students, I also ask the shop teacher and college/career counselors for their suggestions,” she said.
To prepare for action, students were required to complete a 25-question, untimed written test. Once their morning of textbook learning was complete, they congregated in the back parking lot of the school. Before them sat a hunk of powered, industrial metal with two adjustable forks.
Their task: Pick up one wooden pallet with the forklift and complete a short obstacle course around two cones, then return the pallet to its original location. One by one, students took turns completing the course, and every student who attempted passed.
In about two weeks students will be sent their certification cards. The certification is valid for three years and would have cost the students around $140 each if it weren’t for the grant.
Career goals
Some students are already thinking about their next steps. This is the second forklift certification Addison Bruhn is receiving. “I’m super excited,” Bruhn said.
Bruhn is enrolled in a carpenter internship at Chambers Construction and is pursuing an apprenticeship.
“I’m looking to go into heavy equipment operations,” said CGHS senior Bodhi Bair. “You kind of have to start with the lower-level things like forklift, and then you can work your way up from there. I’m doing it because it’s a good opportunity and it’s related to what I want to go into.”
Bair has already applied for a pre-apprenticeship for a heavy equipment operator in Washington.
This reporting is supported by the Catalyst Journalism Project at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
