SAN ANTONIO – Joe Jasso, a trucker for more than 20 years, was forced to consider a change after a crash left him unable to return to his job.
Changing careers after a certain age can be scary for some, but it’s a necessity for others like Jasso.
“When you’re so comfortable having your career, and you know where your life path is, that, you know, at this age, at 49, it’s scary,” he said.
With some encouragement from a friend, Jasso started taking classes at Restore Education.
The program is free for those who qualify for the City of San Antonio Train for Jobs San Antonio stipend. Single people who make under $39,000 or families who make under $80,000 are eligible.
Katherine Kelley, an employment engagement specialist at Restore Education, said Jasso’s story is pretty common in workforce development.
“If I had to put a number on it, I would say it’s about 75% of our students are career changers,” she said.
Some of the reasons people want to take that step is for wage increases, validation of their skill sets, and personal happiness, Kelley said.
There are several training programs available, including EMT basic training, medical front office, pharmacy technician, and medical assistant with phlebotomy technician.
Jasso is in the medical assistant with phlebotomy technician program. He said being back in the classroom was scary, but he’s glad he did it.
“I felt like I was the older student, you know, kind of like the dinosaur in the room,” he said. “Try it out, because it’s never too late to learn something new.”
