1972-1977

Women in world of machines Are any of you aware of the fact that Louisville will shortly have three qualified women trained to cut and .sh.ape any part needed for a machine? on the first dirt road to the right off Poplar Flat Road in the old Ballard-Hudspeth building.

Operating CETA locally are Buddy Barron, guidance counselor; Charles Burnell, machine shop instructor; Preston Fredrick, welding instructor, and Mrs. Eddie Land and Debbie Vance, basic education teachers. Interesting enough the women in the school love it. For Mrs. McDaniel, it is a welcome relief from the tedious day to day 18 years of previous sewing machine operation and a chance to be useful as well as artistic. She had this chance when she was able to complete a miniature cannon, designing and cutting each part to fit exactly. It is the only replica of a certain cannon at ECJC and was done to scale. Mrs. McDaniel recently graduated from the school and is currently employed as a machinist for Taylor Forge in Ackerman. For Patsy Cooper it was a way for her to learn a skill that would increase her salary and provide her with an interesting job. She found out about CETA from her brother who was previously a welding worker. She too is employed with Taylor Forge_in Ackerman. Pat passed the word to Barbara Young who before entering the shop did not even know the mechanics of changing a flat tire. Added Mrs. Young, "Now I know • little bit about machinery and can even make precision instruments. That beats changing a flat tire." The three ladies were taught how to sketch, draw and read blue prints and understand plain Geometry and shop math. None of them have a fear of machines and all display a real interest in what they are doing. Stated Barron, "Women are an untapped labor source. Most industries are reluctant to take them. We're training them here, the employment. service helps place them but they- have to ~£>0nes.w.f-Oll0\V up the reads themselves." And this they have done upon the completion of the six months' course. They made it and were set loose on the world of machines.

Well, there are and they are right under our noses at the Comprehensive Educational Training Act Center here in Louisville, busily making and learning to make any nut or bolt one might require in the course of their work. Patsy Cooper and Barbara Young, both of Ackerman and Mrs. Mary Lois McDaniels of Louisville are three women out of the rapidly rising number of women entering the world of men and machines. In understanding the CETA program, it is one that provides individual instruction in basic education, counseling and skill training. Eligibility for the program is determined by the local unemployment service and the teachers are hired through East Central Junior College. Monies for this type of program are derived from the governor's Office on ._Education. The CETA program in Louisville now offers courses in machine shop and welding plus the required basic education · program of study in math and reading.. The main requirement of a student is that he or she be previously unemployed. CETA also covers veterans, economically disadvantaged, minorities and drop-0uts. The basic education course is taught to high school drop-outs as well as high school graduates and/or college . students and graduates if they are accepted into the school, because it is a review and preparedness course of study. The purpose of CETA is to provide an individual the opportunity to be selective in his choice of occupations, to adapt to changes on the job and to lead to permanent unsubsidized employment. It shows a person how to get a job and keep it. The program also provides a working solution to the proDlems of ihe- uneducatediltmt· unSkilled · segment of the population. CETA serves Choctaw, Winston, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Clay and Lowndes counties. Tht! school building is located

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