CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Nationwide, 911 dispatch centers are struggling to hire enough staff. Parkland College is trying to fill this gap by launching a new "Introduction to 911 Telecommunications" program. 
 
This is a free two-week training program, where participants get a first hand look at what life is like for a 911 dispatcher. 
 
"We came up with the idea of providing an opportunity for community members to do a short training that really exposes them to what dispatch job is, and what it is like to be a telecommunicator," said Alicia Beck, Senior Director of Workforce Development at Parkland College.  "So we're going to be having a two-week training for folks that we're calling sort of a job exposure opportunity. They will come in for a few sessions with our telecommunication instructor that is currently working at METCAD here in Champaign County." 
 
Beck said the program will help participants determine if they actually want to be a 911 dispatcher before becoming certified and starting the career. She's hoping the program will inspire people who have never considered a job as a first responder.
 
The two-week training starts June 2 and will be held through Parkland's Office of Workforce Development. Applications will be accepted until May 20th. 
 
" I think people have ideas of what a tell a communicator does, but they don't always know they'll logistics of the day to day," said Beck.  "So this is going to be a really great opportunity for people to sit with someone who is a qualified telecommunicator  who does this on a daily basis to ask them questions about what it is that they're doing and why they're doing it, and then to experience it firsthand themselves with simulated calls." 
 
Students will also get help with the job application process to help them find a job when they complete training. The training program is free. Graduates will get financial support as they transition into the workforce.
 
For more information, contact the SWFT office at swft@parkland.edu or (217) 353-2150.
 
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