Arkansas Tech University – Ozark Campus student Catrina Osborne says she knows dreams come true thanks to an opportunity to study as a practical nursing student with the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.
Osborne was employed with Whirlpool Corporation in Fort Smith and was one of 700 employees whose jobs were being eliminated after the company announced a portion of its production would shift overseas.
“After eleven years of service, I was losing my job, my income, as well as my friends,” reflected Osborne. “I didn’t know where to turn or what I was going to do next.”
Osborne learned about the Trade Adjustment Assistance program offered to help workers who have lost jobs as a result of foreign trade. The program provides a variety of benefits including job training and income support to workers, so they are able to earn competitive wages in a new industry.
Osborne says going back to school was a once-in-a-lifetime chance that she could not pass up, so she enrolled in the program and began attending nursing classes at Arkansas Tech – Ozark.
“I decided to take my chances and go as far as I could. The opportunity was there and was a blessing in disguise,” added Osborne.
While attending classes, Osborne says she found more than a new career. She added, “I found a new family of friends and a group of faculty who adjusted to a different group of students.”
She says throughout the program the faculty worked to assist the students by providing “customized teaching techniques for the student’s learning style.”
Osborne will complete her degree in practical nursing this summer, and she has already received a job offer.
Ozark Campus officials say a new nursing class for dislocated workers is beginning this summer. To find out more, contact the Office of Student Services at 1-866-225-2884
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