Southwest Regional Adult Education (SRAE) continues to be committed to providing educational classes and work certification programs for our local area. To further their commitment, SRAE recently partnered with Southwest Virginia Community College and the District #43 Probation Office in Cedar Bluff to provide a Work Zone Flagger Certification Course. The class was taught by Instructor John Watson on December 12th and 14th. There were eight participants, all of which successfully completed the program and received their official certifications.
Throughout our country, many roadways are being built and updated daily. Flaggers play a key role in all roadway construction projects by helping keep drivers, roadway users and construction crews safe. The Work Zone Flagger program teaches roadway personnel how to provide safe passage of traffic through and around temporary traffic control work zones. This course is essential for workers required to conduct flagging operations as a part of their job. By law, all flaggers must be properly trained in flagging operations and flagging procedures by a certified flagger training instructor. By completing the flagger certification course, individuals will acquire a strong knowledge in proper flagging techniques and be ready to work on the job as a work zone flagger. All the responsibilities for the job are laid out in the training course, and once one obtains a Work Zone Flagger Certificate, the process of applying for jobs can begin. In some areas, the jobs may be seasonal, so keep that in mind when applying for a position. Starting out, flaggers can make between $15 and $17 dollars per hour, and sometimes more or less depending on the location and the amount of experience.
The Work Zone Flagger course is an excellent way to obtain a job certification in a short amount of time for a well-paying position that comes with opportunities for advancement. Additional locations and times may be added in the upcoming months as interest in this course increases. If you want to know more about becoming a Work Zone Flagger and about upcoming classes, please call SRAE at 276-889-5424. Southwest Regional Adult Education would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for the partnership with Southwest Virginia Community College and with the area probation offices. Because of the overall dedication to supporting the adults in our community, a true difference is made in the lives of people every day. A special thanks goes out to Coordinator Adrianna Culbertson, Chief Christopher Shortt, Senior Probation & Parole Officer Elliot Joyce, and Instructor John Watson for making this class possible.