Education & Employment

Many transgender individuals are low income, living at or near poverty levels, job opportunities are far and few between and face many many socio-economical hardships that can be difficult if not impossible to overcome.  Additionally, a lack of knowledge of their resources around them contributes to this situation.  This blog post aims to change that.  I want to give you those resources. I want to help you better yourself, believe in yourself so that you can succeed as I have done.

Education is the single most important thing that can aid a transgender person in their transition, getting hormones, therapy and their surgeries.  Quality education leads to job opportunities, which leads to self-sustaining income.  When you have self-sustaining income, you can afford to pay for the things you need regarding your transition.  But there are no quick fixes. It's a process that takes time, dedication and perseverance.

You can make excuses, cry, pout, be depressed and feel sorry for yourself, or you can pick yourself up, make a choice and say I'm going to do this, I'm going to succeed, I'm going to be someone.  The more you tell yourself this, the more you will believe it and then you will do it.

I am a transgender woman and I have a high school education, I also have a bachelor's degree in Digital Media Communication, but my degree didn't land me a job.  I ended up going to a truck driving school and I got my Class A CDL and currently I drive for a living.

So the moral of this story here is, just because you go to college and get a degree field doesn't mean you will automatically get a job.  However, there's a lot that goes into my situation.  I live in the Denver metro area.  The demand for jobs in my career field is very limited due to geography (i.e. Colorado and Denver). There are jobs, but many of them are a matter of knowing the right people, which I do not.  I am also NOT willing to relocate.  I could go to Dallas, Houston, Miami, NYC, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Kansas City, wherever pretty much and I could more than likely get gainful employment in my degree field with a reasonable salary to start.  But living anywhere else outside of Colorado is NOT an option for me.  This is where I WANT to be.  This is where I believe I NEED to be.  I probably didn't choose the best career field to get my degree in.  It's very broad and has no real specialty to it.  I found this out the hard way.  I won't minimize my accomplishments, but I definitely could have chosen a little wiser.

As such, when things don't go how you want, you MUST adapt.  You have to be willing to do something else when what you want isn't available.  I could have taken a graphics design job, but my heart wasn't in it.  So for the first 7 months here, I unloaded trailers at night, I cleaned offices on 2nd shift and I worked Broncos games on game days. I scratched, I clawed and I fought for everything that I wanted and I had some help doing it.  Then I found out about driving a truck from a guy who was making $1300 a week, so I inquired with him what I needed to do and he said go to truck driving school, so that's what I did.  I went to a truck driving school, I passed my CDL test, then I got hired on with a company, did 7 weeks of training with a qualified expert trainer and was given my own truck.  I worked for that company for a year and got my experience then I moved on to a company that paid much better and I've been there for 2 years and now I'm making that $1,300 a week.

You have to believe in yourself, you have to be willing to fight for what you want, you have to put in that effort and you have to reach out and TAKE what is rightfully yours because NO ONE is going to give it you.


High School Equivalency Testing

If you did not graduate high school, now is a good time to get that diploma by going through the state's graduation equivalency testing program.  With a GED you open up the door to college, basic jobs, technical schools, certification programs as most if not all of these at minimum require a GED or HS Diploma.  

https://www.cde.state.co.us/postsecondary/hse

This is the first step, and while it may not yield the results you want, we all have to start somewhere.  Just remember when you first started transition.  It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.  Many LGBT centers also have people who are available to assist you with this or find tutors willing to volunteer to help you study.


Community College vs a 4 Year University
Deciding between a community college and a 4-year University can be a difficult decision for some.  However for most it comes down to grades and finances.  If you struggled in high school and/or you don't have money to go to the school you want, then you may have to start at a community college.  There's nothing wrong with this.  I attended a community college for 1 semester and got 15 credits before transferring to a 4-year University.  I wish I had done all of my general education requirements at the community college.  Classes are less expensive, tuition is more affordable and the classes are easier, smaller in enrollment size and your professor can work with you one on one and help when you struggle better than a professor at a 4-year university can.

Here's a very in depth article on the subject.

Always remember to do the research and weigh the pro's vs. cons and talk to those around you in your family or support system and ask for guidance, thoughts, suggestions and make the best decision for yourself.


Vocational Training vs. a College Degree
Not everyone is cut out to go to college.  Not everyone wants to go to college.  Some people want to go to a Vocational School, take classes specific to a trade or skillset, and then get the rest of their education with on-the-job training.  A vocational school affords a person that ability. There have been many millionaires that never got a college degree, but instead went to a Vocational School.

http://mycollegeguide.org/blog/2016/08/trade-school-vs-college/

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/why-you-should-consider-trade-school-instead-of-college/

However, be wary of vocational schools that are just after your money. Many don't provide adequate job training or valid certifications, so check with the Better Business Bureaus and if you need a quality recommendation for a trade or vocational school, then I suggest researching some companies that employ the trade you wish to get into and either call or go talk to some of the hiring managers there and ask them what vocational schools they are hiring from.  Most if not all will have a good recommendation for you.

There are many unions around Colorado and Denver that offer apprenticeships which include on the job training as well as in the classrooms.

Here's a link of Unions in Colorado and their contact information

Here is another link as well
http://labor-unions.findthecompany.com/d/b/Colorado


There is currently a construction on the job training project hiring and training now!
https://www.buildcolorado.com/

• Carpentry
• Concrete Finishing
• Construction Technician
• Drywall & Finishes
• Electrician
• Enclosures
• Glazier
• Heavy Equipment Operator
• HVAC Installer/Technician
• Ironworker
• Mason (Brick, Block, Stone)
• Painter
• Pipefitter
• Pipelayer
• Plumber
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Tile Setter
• Welder

Workforce Investment Act
There's a myriad of resources available to everyone in the workforce.  Colorado offers one called WIA or the Workforce Investment Act.  They pay up to $5,000 for training.  Preference is given to veterans, but it is NOT a requirement to be a veteran to get it, you just get to go to the front of the line if you are a military veteran.  WIA provides resources for those struggling to find work, those who don't have quality job training, lack skills or are in need of a new career field.

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/wia-js

We are here to help you prepare for employment, find and keep a job, and increase your earnings through a federally-funded program called the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
For example, through this program, we offer employment services including:

• Assistance with job leads and labor market information

• Resume assistance and critiques

• Education and career assessments

• Employment readiness and job search workshops

• Career counseling and career planning

• Supportive services

• Intensive job search assistance

Additionally, we offer limited training assistance for short-term training programs that lead directly to jobs identified as “in demand” in the local labor market. Training programs can take the form of classroom training, on-the-job training, internships, or apprenticeships.

To find out more, apply at your local workforce center and read the eligibility and qualifying criteria below.

Commercial Truck Driving
If all else fails, you can always drive a truck.  You can go to a truck driving school, take the classes, take the test and when you pass, you can get your Class A or Class B CDL and you can drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).  First year drivers can expect to make between $32,000 and $45,000 their first year.  After your first year or two, you can go get a better job and make about $60,000 - $100,000 a year after that depending on where you go and what kind of trucking that you get into.  It's a good way to make a living and it will most definitely help you with your transition expenses, getting health insurance, paying for surgeries and procedures.  It can be a long-term thing or you can just do it to get through your transition and then move on to something else.

The class consists of a 160 hours of training.  There's a few schools in Denver and in Colorado that provide this training.  All offer financing.  If your credit isn't good, usually you can put a couple $100 down and they will finance you anyways, but some may require a co-signer to get the financing.  WIA will cover up to $5000 of your truck driving training.  You might also be able to apply for FAFSA (Financial Aid).

If you can't find financing, then there are a few trucking companies that will put you through company paid training and truck driving school however, you MUST sign a contract with them for 2 years and work there. Do this as a LAST resort.  If you quit or get fired, you're on the hook for that money and they usually want it the day you end your employment.  Some of these companies are completely shady.  I'll get into that here in a minute.

Truck Driving Schools in Colorado

US Truck Driving School has two schools.  One in Wheat Ridge, CO and one in Fountain, CO.
https://ustruck.com/

Sage Truck Driving School has multiple schools in the state of Colorado
http://www.sageschools.com/


Here's a list of other truck driving schools in the state

http://www.truckingtruth.com/schools/colorado-truck-driving-schools


If you absolutely MUST get company provided training, then do so.  I'd recommend Knight Transportation to start with as your top choice.  

http://www.driveknight.com/transportation-driver-training/

Swift, Werner Enterprises and CR England should all be your FINAL/LAST RESORT options. These are what are called megas (Mega Trucking Companies).  They have deep pockets, treat their drivers poorly (I worked for Werner and I did my year and I left as soon as possible) they pay poorly and generally drivers there are not very happy.  But we all have to start somewhere, so if you have to do the dirty then suck it up, do your year, don't have any accidents and then find a better paying job and move on.

Companies to get your CDL training and your start with:

• Celadon
• Knight Transportation
• Prime
• Roehl
• Millis Transfer
• Schneider
• Stevens Transport
• Werner
• Swift
• CR England

Types of Trucking

Currently I run Linehaul.  All linehaul consists of is going from one destination to a meet point or other terminal, swapping with another driver and then you come right back.  I've done Flatbed, Over the Road and Linehaul to date.  I like and prefer Linehaul the best.  I come home to my bed every night, I work five days on, and I have my Sundays and Mondays off and I make about $60,000+ a year.  My schedule is set and I work a day route and I go to the same place five days a week and I come right back.  Sleep in my own bed and I have a nice, consistent routine which allows for stability in my life.  

There's many types of trucking though.  Sometimes you have to find your niche, so try several types until you find what works for you.  

• Linehaul/LTL (Less than Truck Load)
• Tanker
• Over the Road (53' trailer, 48' trailer)
• Intermodal (Usually running from terminal to railyards and shipyards)
• Heavy Haul (Hauling houses, and over-sized loads, requires a lot of experience)
• Oilfield
• Reefer (Refrigerated)
• Dump Truck
• Car Hauler/Auto Carrier
• Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking
• Local/P&D (Pickup and Delivery)  - Usually a lot of city driving.

The best way to start is get on with a company doing a regional or local dedicated account where you have the same stops every day.  It's usually the same paycheck every week, same schedule and weekends off.  Doing this allows you to get familiar and comfortable with the truck, with backing, and all the other things that come with trucking.  

Advanced Secondary Education

For those of you that are ambitious go-getters and your Bachelor's Degree isn't enough, you can opt to go get your Master's Degree, your PhD. or youmaychoose to go Law School and get your Jurisprudence Degree.

In closing you have a lot of options and of those, at least one can suit your needs.  You don't have to be rich, you don't have to have a $100,000 a year job, or drive fancy cars, but find something you can do, that you enjoy doing and make a career out of it.  I say this from personal experience, once you have your surgery, nothing else really matters.  I could take a job making $10 an hour tomorrow and I'd be completely happy because my surgery is already done and I'm finally at peace with myself.