Troops to Teachers |  Video |
| Amanda Tetlak |
| 7/15/2009 |
.jpg) |
| Just because service men and women retire from their jobs in the
military, it doesn`t mean they`re ready to stop working. Troops to
Teachers is a program run through the department of veterans affairs
and job service North Dakota. It gives retired members of the
military the resources they need to start a new career in
teaching. Joel Gustafson retired from his job as an electrician in the coast guard about ten years ago, and he says he never thought his second career would be as a high school teacher. "Family members and people I`ve known my whole life were quite surprised somebody had hired me as a teacher," Gustafson says. And now his putting his skills to work in the classroom teaching electronics technology for Bismarck Public Schools. The troops to teachers program gave him the money he needed to get his teaching certificate and also gave the school district a stipend to hire him. "The troops to teachers program financial assistance allowed me to take the classes, get the credentialing to teach electronics technology in the career and technical education program," says Gustafson. There are about 350 open teaching jobs in the state that job service is looking to fill and says veterans often are a good fit for the position because of their background. "You take individuals that have retired, especially from the armed forces and have a varied background and are accustomed to doing things click, click, click which I think is good for a teacher," says Wyman Roeder, of Job Service North Dakota. And Gustafson says even though it`s not what he thought he`d be doing, he wouldn`t have it any other way. "To see they`re being successful," he says. "That you showed them something they grabbed hold of and they made it a career. It`s fund. It`s rewarding." And he plans to continue to make a difference in the lives of many more kids in the future and hopes other veterans will do the same. If you`re a veteran who served for at least six years of active duty in the military and are interested in the troops to teachers program, call Wyman at Job Service at 328-5043 |
© 2009 KFYR-TV
Home | News | Weather | Sports | Webcast | Country Morning Today
| Programming | Primetime Rewind | Advertising & Sales | About Us
Community Connection | Movies | Contests &
Promotions | Bridal
Show | Search | Links | Contact Us
Sister Stations: KMOT in Minot, KQCD in Dickinson, KUMV in Williston
