Magnolia State News

Career STEP and ECCC Prepare Ifeacho for Workforce

Chibuzo Ifeacho, a student originally from Nigeria, has always had a goal of becoming a truck driver in life, and with the help of East Central Community College and the Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District’s Career STEP program, that dream is now a reality.  

“I’ve known that this is something that I’ve wanted to do with my life, and I am excited to have entered the workforce as quickly as I have,” said Ifeacho.  

The Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District’s Career Skills Training Education Pathways (STEP) Program is a workforce program that covers the cost of short-term (less than one year) training, such as workforce and career-technical education courses. Through partnerships with local community colleges, such as East Central, participants are connected to training opportunities that lead to career pathways. Ifeacho was able to apply this program to ECCC’s truck driving program. 

East Central’s truck driving program, an eight-to-10-week program based in Philadelphia, preps students with the rules and regulations of driving with classroom training before progressing to on-course driving. Upon completion, students are fully prepared to enter straight into the workforce.  

“I had a wonderful experience at East Central,” said Ifeacho. “My instructors were humble and taught me everything that I needed to know to be successful in this field and I am thankful for opportunities like the Career STEP program that made this possible for myself and my family.” 

Upon completion of the program on November 4, 2022, Ifeacho accepted a job as a long-haul truck driver.  

“I highly recommend anyone who qualifies to look into the Career STEP program through East Central,” said Ifeacho. “Without opportunities such as this, I might not be where I am today.”  

To qualify for the Career STEP program participants must be between the ages of 18-59, not be enrolled in high school, be enrolled in an approved program, have a household income not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty level, and complete the eligibility process prior to the start of their respective course or program. 

Original source can be found here.