GRADUATION CELEBRATION — A trio of happy graduates of the Arc Herkimer’s Distribution Center Candidate Training Program hold their certificates during a recent ceremony. The candidates, Betsey Dunckel, Kyle Juliano and Levi Tharp, participated in the first round of the program, which ran in three rotations at three Herkimer Industries sites. Each spent 16 weeks in training positions at sites in Herkimer, Little Falls, and Ilion, where they gained production and distribution skills in warehouse operations, fork truck certification, packing, shipping, scaling, and other areas, The goal of the program was to offer mentoring and on-the-job training to set candidates up for future employment. All three candidates will be moving on to employment within the community. From left: Mike Lamb, vice president of industrial operations; Staci Gross, assistant program director; Dunckel; Juliano; Tharp; Catherine Loomis, Arc Herkimer vice president of community engagement and career development; Kevin Crosley, Arc Herkimer president/CEO.