I am so glad I found out about this program, because it has helped me so much.
Although James generally keeps his finances private, his story will sound familiar to a lot of small business owners in recent years. After the pandemic, it became harder and harder to find workers for his home renovation business. Before long, his family was struggling to keep up their mortgage, and he realized his business could not survive. James needed to find a new career, and he came to WIOA to get the best start possible.
“I am so glad I found out about this program,” says James, “because it has helped me so much.”
James’ business had been successful for a long time, so when the pandemic hit out of the blue, he had not considered other options. Ilia, his WIOA Career Services Specialist, helped James target his potential in other industries. James took career assessments and discussed the results with Ilia to choose a career path that would get James the pay and independence he wanted.
With James’ mechanical aptitude and entrepreneurial spirit, commercial truck driving was a clear match. “This made sense on a lot of levels,” says Ilia. “He would be able to find a job immediately, receive good pay, and be able to rejoin the workforce once again.”
James joined the next CDL training at Karl’s Transport in Antigo. WIOA helped pay for his training, medical exam, boots, and learner’s permit. Just one week after earning his license, he was offered a job at Performance Foodservice in Shawano!
Today, instead of worrying about the future, James is saving for it. Congratulations!
