Hugo Barron Builds His Career

Our graduate Hugo Barron got his truck and bus driver licenses and began working in a matter of a few months!

Weeks ago, he told our placement coordinator Marcelle Gerard, “I’ve decided to take ***** up on his offer. Training starts Nov. 28th. I’d like to thank you guys for being the stepping stone between my military service and my next career move.”

For Hugo, Marcelle wanted to share, “It is not often that someone’s first interaction with a company is in person and not through an online application. Upon first being introduced to this hiring company, Hugo met the recruiting manager who would be one of the deciding factors affecting his offer of employment.” This was at a presentation made just for our students and graduates.

“It’s personal right from the beginning,” Marcelle continued. “This company gets the feel for you in person as opposed to just looking at a resume. We are appreciative of the visits that they make to provide presentations and chances for meeting our students. Without this opportunity, our students succeed with less limitations for their future. I am so happy that Hugo has found a home with this company and that we were able to support him along his own path to success!”

She touched base with him shortly after and Hugo replied, “Everything is going great! I’m in my 2nd week of training. It’s almost unreal how well they value their workers. Met the company president. [...] The compensation for our hard work is generous and benefits are excellent. It’s hard work but worth every bit of it. The promotions are there all it takes is time and hard work. I have full intentions on making this a career. “

Michael Davies: “Freedom to Be My Own Boss”

Update 02/17/12: Michael is going to begin working this Monday! Congratulations!

He has obtained his commercial class A license and passenger endorsement out in our Oceanside contract training site.

For Michael, independence is very important. “I left the Navy in Sept. 2010. The economy is terrible. I tried conventional college and found that it was not for me. CCS offered me something that college would not: freedom to be my own boss.”

CCS placement coordinator Marcelle Gerard has been working with Michael to help him land a job. “He’s going over the road,” she talked about his plans. Marcelle describes Michael as “very energetic” and “passionate.” He is “very supportive of the other students” and is always exchanging pictures with those that are currently over the road. At the moment, Marcelle said, companies “***** and ***** are right on top of him. He definitely has prospects, they’re looking at him.”

Once again we congratulate Michael on his successful completion and we wish him luck in all of his endeavors!

USMC Greene Gets Truck License

Marine Andrew Greene got his truck driver license and is now scheduled for his DMV road test for bus tomorrow!

“‘Check, check and RE-CHECK!’ – was what Ward (one of the instructors) had told me the day before my [truck] road test and what this little advice was actually key to me passing this final test. (Check, check and re-check my mirrors.) Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make the world go round,” Andrew shared with us.

“The greatest challenge,” he told us, “was memorizing the pre-trip inspection of the truck and all components that came with it, but once you get that down everything else is just repetition and muscle memory, so, honestly, it’s not that bad.”

We asked him about his plans after California Career School. “To be honest, I’m not sure,” he said. “I still have 2 years in the Marine Corps to finish, but after that– look for a job somewhere near my home state and work from there.”

We wish Andrew good luck on his test tomorrow! With the truck test already passed, it’s all downhill with the bus!

Dedicated Marine Graduates with Truck and Bus Licenses

Matthew Cooper from Twentynine Palms completed both his commercial truck and bus driver training very recently, graduating quickly due to his dedication and enthusiasm with learning.

“The moment that stands out the most is when I started driving a semi on the road and realized how big a job truck drivers really have. As a result of that I have a new respect for truck drivers, and will never cut them off or pull out in front of them again,” he explained.

“I’m going to be honest,” Matt told us, “Before taking classes to get out of the Marines, I had never heard of CCS. An instructor came to the [TAP] class and gave a presentation and I thought, ‘why not?’ I figured even if I didn’t want to be a truck driver it could always be my back up plan.”

He shared more thoughts regarding his training, “Couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated instructor [...] They will continue to train you until you are a competent driver.”

“Amazing student, he picked up very quickly,” said Ward Violanti, Twentynine Palms lead instructor. “You can tell him something once and he got it… and he did. I was a little tougher on him. I didn’t hold him back.”

Now that he has graduated, Matt has a job opportunity possibly set up but also has another plan to become state police back home. Once again, we congratulate Matt for his speedy and exceptional completion of our truck and bus course and we wish him luck in all of his future endeavors!

Board of Advisors for 2012

The purpose of the Board of Advisors is to review the established curricula of each training program, instructional-related program materials, equipment and facilities and student achievement outcomes as means to provide the school with an external review of its programs and to help insure all programs are relevant to the industry where the students will be working.

Garrette Guidry – Mechanic & Marine

“I chose CCS because one of my Marines attended this site and highly recommended CCS. In reading and talking with [instructor] Ward I found out that there were benefits from attending CCS such as job placement and assistance to their students. Making the transition from military to civilian life a little less stressful by offering some degree of ‘being part of a family,’ kind of like being in the military.”

Many of our students are in motor transport coming out of the Marines and are looking for a good way to transition into civilian life with the skills that they have learned.

“The challenge I faced on choosing a vocational school was that I am a mechanic and a lot of the jobs I was looking at to be a mechanic had a prerequisite of ‘have to have a class A CDL’ which eased by decision to be part of California Career School.”

“I feel the most valuable asset a school can have is a knowledgeable staff and instructors, which CCS definitely has.”

Garrette plans to move back to Louisiana after his separation from the military. “[W]ith the training I have received and the assistance in job placement, I will be successful.”

Congratulations to Garrette on successfully obtaining his commercial class A license! We wish you the best!

Returning After 7 Years

Having been deployed numerous times, Steve Kovacs endured several hurdles before finally being able to complete his CDL. On top of this, he told us, “I was 183 miles from the school and had to run another household.”

“I just wanted to get my CDL to have a backup when I was going to come off active duty,” said Steve.

After all this time, he finally passed his test for class A and the passenger endorsement, both back to back one day after the other. “Just listen to your instructor, they know what they are doing,” he shared. “[It's] a very good military school with flexible options… very satisfied, will definitely recommend [California Career School].”

Last time we spoke with him, he had obtained a pre-hire with a large carrier shortly after his graduation.

We want to congratulate Steve for enduring towards his goal and then very immediately finding a job afterwards!

Right Attitude Leads to New Job

Reginald Davis came in to visit us earlier this week saying that he finally landed a job! He graduated in late October but has since been having a hard time finding an employer who would give him a chance because of his limited experience and other personal obstacles to employment.

Staff members Sarah and Marcelle, among many who regularly interact with our students, agreed, “Reggie would come in nearly every day on his lunch break just to get onto the computer and fill out as many applications as he could… He was always positive and always doing his best not to be discouraged by the difficulties that he was dealing with.”


Reggie with his instructors Ken and Robert

Reggie was in the lobby telling his story to a new class that had just started this week. One student expressed that he is someone truly inspiring for everyone. Students with similar backgrounds now felt that if he could do it, so could they.

During his interview with the employer, he took a very short driving test at 5AM that lasted less than five minutes. Reggie asked a couple of questions regarding double clutch and what the shifting patterns were. His interviewer answered the questions verbally– Reggie took those directions and put them in action with confidence and ease.

Marcelle described Reggie’s new employer, “They acknowledged his honesty and willingness to learn and accept any kind of work they had available even if it wasn’t a driver– and then hired him as a driver!”

We are all very excited and want to remind Reggie to always keep going and moving forward. We wish him good luck always in his future endeavors!

How We Help Our Military Students

We believe our training should respond to the needs of industry by preparing men and women alike with “hands on” training directed toward practical applications. Students are supervised by qualified, experienced instructors and will have the opportunity to train with modern equipment commonly used in the industry.

What You’ll Learn in Security Training

Ever wonder what it takes to get into the security field? What types of training do employers want for their employees? At California Career School, we train our students to enter the security field fully prepared for what employers are looking for.

  • Obtain a guard card and be certified by the State
  • Obtain a firearms permit – practice at a licensed firearms training facility
  • Obtain first aid/CPR certification
  • Obtain a baton permit
  • Obtain pepperspray certification
  • Complete school security guard training as outlined by the BSIS

On top of these certifications, graduates receive placement assistance in order to help their transition into the security industry.

Call us today! (800) 499-6585