Fourth term Apprentice Fernando Diaz with Local 1977 graduated high school last year with college in mind, but the possibility of incurring a large amount of debt made him nervous. Thanks to his experience with Career Connections, he has been thriving in the Apprenticeship. Within six months of working as an apprentice, he made $50,000, and at just nineteen years old, he is already on track to purchase a home.
He attributes much of his success to the Career Connections program, which not only gave him an edge when it came to the hands-on skills needed to enter the Apprenticeship, but also provided valuable social connections. His instructors, an architect and a carpenter, encouraged him to enter the trades. This provided a valuable and accessible career path without college debt, and his employer MJ Dean Construction (SW Door) is already looking to Career Connections students as great potential candidates for future work. Fernando says the program prepared him for a career and practical life skills.