Charleston organization offering training, career development to aspir…

This is the second in a two-part series on Meet The Need, Inc., a non-profit organization based in Charleston.

CHARLESTON, Mo. —  The new calendar year often prompts people to envision a brighter future, and Meet The Need, Inc. is hoping to help those who share this sentiment.

The non-profit organization in Charleston (700 W. Marshall St.) began offering work skill development sessions last summer and is continuing to do so this month as well.

“There was talk about work skills training coming forth and being a bigger and broader idea throughout this region,” Meet The Need, Inc. co-founder Pamela Jones explained.

She and her husband, Rodney Jones, created the organization in 2025 and now offer work skill training in becoming certified in forklift operations, coding, welding, and obtaining your CDL A and/or B licensing.

A forklift certification class will hold its orientation meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6, from 1 to 3 p.m., with the two-day class sessions to be Jan. 12 and 13 or Jan. 20 and 21.

Each session runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We will go through the different safety videos,” Rodney explained about the training. “We’ll talk about the different environments and different applications.”

Pamela explained that job applicants often want to fill a position with a company, but that company does not offer the training process.

By becoming certified through Meet The Need, Inc., that is one less obstacle for a person seeking gainful employment.

Another challenge that Meet The Need, Inc. helps local workers with is logistics.

The organization serves people throughout 12 counties in Southeast Missouri, but the closest forklift certification course is in St. Louis, according to Rodney.

“We wanted to cover this region,” Rodney said. “They don’t have to travel when they can come right here.”

The courses are free to qualified applicants.

Meet The Need, Inc. has partnered with Fitzgerald Marine and Repair, Inc., among others, to train interested workers with basic welding skills.

“They have said as many people as we can get trained,” Pamela said, “they will take them.”

The Joneses also operate and own DRJ Pam Transport, LLC., a trucking business based in Charleston.

The CDL training can not only help the careers of over-the-road drivers, but also drivers for delivery companies and/or school systems for their bus drivers.

The organization recently certified drivers from Charleston R-I Schools, according to Rodney.

“Charleston upgraded their equipment to 26,000 pounds,” Rodney explained. “They sent three of their drivers here, and we were able to help.”

For more information on Meet The Need, Inc. training sessions, call (573) 233-2980 or visit www.meettheneedinc.org.