As a young boy, Rob dreamed of working at a news station. Fast forward twenty years, and he had earned his bachelor’s in broadcast journalism and secured a dynamic job at a local news station. While he was always gaining compliments for his work, however, he was losing money, living paycheck to paycheck on less than $10 an hour. Rob decided to move swiftly in a new direction, and a boost from WIOA made it all possible.
WIOA helped Rob move into a career that not only built on his current skills but also gave him enough money to plan for the future. Rob has always been tech-savvy, so after some research, he enrolled in an Associate’s program at Northcentral Technical College. He was working part-time and living with family, but student loans were starting to add up.
With financial support from WIOA, Rob was able to focus more on school and maintain a 4.0. He set up a job shadow at The Dirks Group in 2015. They loved his enthusiasm and work ethic so much that they kept him on for their summer positions… through graduation… and then offered him a full-time job!
For the past year, Rob has spent his days helping small and mid-sized businesses across Central Wisconsin keep their computers running smoothly. “It’s great working in a company and a field that keeps you on your toes and rewards you for your hard work,” he says. With a career that pays almost twice his former salary and has room for advancement, he can’t help but smile when he says “Now I’m in a position to pay off my loans early so I can start saving for the future.”
Congratulations, Rob!