On Monday, 12 Charlottesville residents will graduate from the GO Driver Program, a one-month training program that prepares city residents for a career as a Relief Transit Bus Operator with Charlottesville Area Transit.
The program, entirely free for eligible participants, is a partnership among the City’s Office of Economic Development, CAT, and Piedmont Virginia Community College to offer training that will equip residents with a National Retail Federation Customer Service Certificate, Career Readiness Certificate, workplace essential skills, and a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Learner’s Permit.
After successful completion of this program, participants will have the opportunity to be considered for employment with CAT as a Relief Transit Bus Operator. Once hired by CAT, participants will receive an additional month of paid on-the-job training to earn their CDL.
GO Driver was established to meet the City’s workforce development goals of connecting residents to meaningful career opportunities and providing City-based businesses a quality workforce. These goals, which were set forth in the report,Growing Opportunity: A Path to Self-Sufficiency in Charlottesville, are aimed at helping City residents obtain career ladder jobs by providing access to training and education and reducing barriers to employment.