He Has Electrifying Career Plans

BD came to the Greater Raritan Youth Employment Services (YES) program after being referred from WorkFirst New Jersey (WFNJ). At age 23, BD was forced to move out of his family’s home and find shelter, which was not very close to his employer. Without reliable transportation, he could not maintain his employment. With every reason for BD to walk into the Greater Raritan One-Stop Career Training Center office filled with negativity, he chose positivity.

During his intake, BD expressed interest in pursuing a career as an electrician as he had some knowledge of trade fields. With this goal in mind, BD was referred to the Visions program at Middle Earth. He participated in a preparatory mock interview, obtained an OSHA certification, and had a successful paid internship with a local nonprofit. Around the same time that BD was re-locating to the temporary shelter, he misplaced his ID. He was often called for interviews by interested employers but was never able to be hired without proper identification. BD and his YES Career Navigator took a trip to the DMV to replace his ID so he could effectively begin applying for employment. Once he started submitting applications, he was interviewing for several positions. With transportation still being a barrier, he was able to rekindle his relationship with a relative and move back into a family home. He soon accepted two part-time employment opportunities near his new residence that he could walk to.

Since completing Visions, BD is on his way towards becoming an electrician by showing interest in the P.A.C.E (Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education) program run through Hunterdon Polytech. This program is giving BD an opportunity to begin hands-on training in the trade field and provide him with an internship. From there, he will be able to continue on his career path with his ultimate goal of leading his own electrical team.