Lake Tech success story
Published on: Mar 26, 2021
When it came time for Errin Gill to attend college, she began looking into the options available in the State of Florida. Though she was currently living in Colorado, Errin had a Florida Prepaid College plan she could use to help cover her education costs. With a passion for art and cars, she started researching career programs and landed on a perfect combination of the two: Lake Technical College’s Automotive Collision Technology Technician program. Errin was impressed with the instructors and the facilities, and she made the move from Colorado to Florida all by herself to begin the program
Errin started attending Lake Technical College in August of 2019 and quickly became a stand-out student. Though she was worried about entering a non-traditional field as a woman, Errin was pleasantly surprised to find herself included rather than discouraged by her fellow students. In fact, Errin’s successes were so obvious that she was awarded the Women in Industry scholarship. When asked what advice she had for other women entering non-traditional industries, Errin said, “Take the step and just do it! It feels like all eyes are on you, which is a bit more pressure, but it’s worth it in the end.” Errin’s instructors, David Beliveau and Andre Gardin, said she was an excellent student. They described her as a “leader among her peers… She was always willing to help others and pushed others to work together as a team.” Her work stood out so much that Errin’s very first paint job on a car went to a paying customer. DeAnna Thomas, Director of Operations at Lake Tech, said Errin is “special in the sense that we knew she had a passion and a drive inside of her”
Errin continued to excel and even was hired at a local paint and body shop while still taking classes. Before she even graduated, Errin had the opportunity to apply for a position with Lockheed Martin. After a rigorous interview process, Errin landed a job fabricating windows for the F35 fighter jet and the Apache helicopter. She describes it as the “coolest job ever and I would never have had this opportunity without Lake Tech’s training.” Just a year and a half after starting, Errin graduated from Lake Tech’s Automotive Collision Technology Technician program and was able to start her career with Lockheed Martin.
Florida’s Career and Technical Education programs offer students the opportunity to get certified and into the workforce faster, and with grant money from the federal CARES Act, it’s never been more affordable to get certified. With seven career pathways, hundreds of individual programs and 76 colleges and technical colleges to choose from, there is an abundance of opportunities among many in-demand careers. For more information on how you can sign up for a career and technical program, visit www.GetThereFL.com.