Mild to Wild

Before Rosco came to SkillSource, he was a long-term employee, dedicating over a decade to REC Silicon. Words like dependable, bright and sharp are commonly used by supervisors to describe him. However, in 2019 Rosco was one of over 100 workers from REC impacted by a layoff and plant closure.

Rosco had to think fast about his future plans. His spouse did not work outside the home and the family had bills to pay. He began working with the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program shortly after his job loss due to RECs reduction being a result of foreign trade. Rosco had a passion for restoring vehicles and decided to enroll in an online auto body training program using TAA funds.

Part of his educational program required an internship with a local auto body shop. Rosco met with Kenny, the owner of Mild to Wild Auto Restoration in Moses Lake. After their meeting, Kenny didn’t want Rosco as an intern, he wanted him as a permanent employee! Rosco’s TAA counselor, Jim Skinner, contacted SkillSource to see if On-the-Job Training might be possible. SkillSource met with Kenny and Rosco to discuss training options.

A Job Task Analysis was completed and Rosco quickly realized how much he had to learn. This was a big job! In addition to the training, support and wage reimbursement of OJT, the Dislocated Worker program helped pay for tools to get Rosco started on his new career path.

Rosco successfully completed his OJT with Mild to Wild Auto Restoration as an Auto Body Repair Technician. Rosco loves his job! Despite the COVID pandemic, he continues to work full-time and develop his skills. Kenny is very happy with his new employee and plans to keep Rosco on his team for many years to come.