FORT MILL, S.C. -- With so many people looking for jobs right now, NewsChannel 36 has been working on our continuing series called "Quick Jobs." It focuses on training programs that can put you back to work in weeks.

This week, we see what it takes to become an emergency medical technician.

Twelve students crammed into an ambulance -- not for treatment, but training.

"I was a stay-at-home mom," said student Tara Levesque.

Levesque decided to become an emergency medical technician after her daughter stepped on an ant nest.

"We had to call 911," she said.

Those emergency responders inspired Levesque to volunteer with an EMS squad, and now she's taking the basic EMT certification course at York Technical College.

"A basic EMT is trained to take care of basic functions within the human body," said instructor Richard Mann. "If someone has a problem breathing, they can help them with oxygen."

He also says CPR is part of the class as well as training on the automatic external defibrillator.

The EMT training takes about four months, but students can keep adding on courses and eventually become a trained paramedic.

The EMT course costs about $700.

"My squad we volunteer with will reimburse me for school," said Levesque.

The pay ranges from $24,000 to $36,000 a year, depending on training and experience. Mann says the hours are not for everyone.

"Most of our services are set up on a 24/48 schedule, which means that you're going to be working for 24 hours," he said.

Workers then get 48 hours off.

"You may have time to eat, you may not," Mann said of a typical shift.

And for all the displaced workers now taking his class, Mann has some comforting words.

"This is an ideal way for them to find an industry, if you will, that's recession proof," said Mann.  "Anyone who is willing to pursue it, there is an opening out there for them."

For more information on the EMT training program, call York Tech's admissions office at 803-327-8008.