ECWDB Success Stories New Bern NC

NCWorks Helped Alexis Obtain her CDL and Find Employment

Alexis : Carteret Success Story

Alexis M. came to the Career Center in November 2021, working part-time, 25 hours a week as a Retail Shopper for Insta-Cart. She was underemployed and met WIOA eligibility criteria. Alexis expressed a desire to train and earn a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). She had previous work experience driving and knew she would enjoy driving big rigs over long distances. Alexis demonstrated confidence, adaptability, and optimism consistently with instructors and her WIOA Career Advisor. She demonstrated grit and perseverance during her training and earned her CDL in May of 2022. Alexis soon found employment with P & S Transportation, a national company that operates and manages more than 1,000 trucks. Her employer was incredibly pleased with Alexis' hard work and positive attitude and provided her with a ring after her training period. She is now full-time with the company and has the opportunity to earn incremental raises. Soon she will increase her pay further, by receiving a percentage of each haul. She is currently earning a family sustainable wage of over $45,000/ year. Her company also provides benefits such as medical, dental, and vision coverage; paid leave; and life insurance. Alexis loves her job, the freedom to do, what she loves, and the financial independence it has provided her. She is so grateful for the opportunity she received from the WIOA program through Carteret Community College. The training, financial assistance, and overall support at the college and the NCWorks Career Center made it possible for her to become successful in a non-traditional occupation for a female, let alone a minority female. She is truly outstanding!

NCWorks Helped a Homeless Veteran Find Support

Anonymous Veteran : Onslow Success Story

Onslow NCWorks received a phone call from the Executive Director of the Onslow County Re-Entry Council. The director told them that he had received a phone call from an Onslow County Probation officer with an issue concerning a veteran who was being released from prison in two days and would be homeless. As the director couldn’t provide all the details, NCWorks asked to speak directly with the probation officer so that they could work with him to solve this issue. The probation officer proceeded to inform them about the veteran’s background story, who was initially released from prison after serving his sentence, was currently on probation and living at his mothers’ home in Georgia when he was cited for a probation violation. At this point the veteran was taken into custody and returned to prison in Lumberton, North Carolina. The Parole and Probation Board overheard his case and decided to overturn the probation violation. Due to the sensitive nature of the crimes committed, coupled with the time it would take to transfer the veteran’s probation back to Georgia from North Carolina, upon the veterans release he would have been facing homelessness. NCWorks, in conjunction with Veterans Services of the Carolinas staff, began making calls and putting together an action plan. After floating around many ideas, we found an open bed for the returning veteran at an all-male veteran homeless shelter in Statesville, North Carolina. The veteran now has shelter and food while his assigned North Carolina Probation Officer expedited his probation transfer back to Georgia, where he will have the support of his family and local organizations.

Bridget Completed Training and Found Employment she Loves

Bridget : Carteret Success Story

When Bridget met with a WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Career Advisor in the NCWorks Career Center at Carteret Community College in the spring of 2022, she was a stay-at-home parent struggling to reenter the workforce. She was hoping to continue her training and get a professional medical coding certification to make her more employable. She had several years of previous work experience in a medical office environment but was struggling to make ends meet. Bridget completed the course and passed her certified professional coder exam in the summer, an internationally recognized credential. Bridget soon found employment doing what she loves for a federal agency, coding vaccine reactions for the CDC. While talking with her Career Advisor, Bridget commented, “I could not be more pleased with this job!” Her employer recently informed her that she was a top performer for January 2023. Through their communications with her, her employer wrote, “Congratulations! That is such an amazing accomplishment. You have made such a positive impact on the team, and we are so grateful for you. Thank you for all your hard work, dedication, and impressive performance.” Carteret Community College’s WIOA team is immensely proud of Bridget’s accomplishments and enjoyed working with her. Congratulations!

WIOA Started Garrett on the Path to his Dream Career

Garrett : Lenoir Success Story

Garrett, from Trenton, came to Lenoir Community College (LCC) with plans to attain his High School Equivalency Diploma. With the help of his dedicated teacher, Fred Seymour, and some nudging encouraging words from his Career Advisor Tracey Price, he attained this goal in July 2021.

Garrett had a dream - he loved cars and everything involving racing, from NASCAR to drag strip and everything in between. He said he wanted to learn to work on cars and get a job in an automotive shop and eventually have his own race car, and possibly work for NASCAR.

Working through the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA), a federally funded program that helps youth between the ages of 16-24 achieve their employment goals, Garrett was able to enroll in the Automotive Systems Technology Program and obtain a paid work experience. The WIOA program covers training costs and provides funds for paid work experiences for eligible youth.

“Garrett had a tough time at traditional school and said he was labeled a slow learner and doubted his capabilities because of that,” Price said. “He had some reservations about enrolling in the degree program, but he took a leap of faith and decided to give it a try. Working and the stress of attending classes became overwhelming, but he never gave up and he completed several certifications through the program.”

Price said he began a paid work experience in July 2022, at Pollocksville Automotive while attending classes. The owner of the shop, Charles Zavalney, worked with Garrett from day one even though he had no experience. Over the next nine months Zavalney and another mechanic helped him learn skills every shop worker needs to know such as changing and balancing tires, changing oil, and other preventive maintenance tasks. “Garrett struggled some days trying to remember all the details of completing these tasks and some days he was very frustrated, but I encouraged him to not give up and to cut himself some slack.”

Garrett’s perseverance paid off as after his work experience ended in March, he was hired full time at his worksite. “Not only has Garrett achieved his dream of working on cars for a living, but he also told me they are working on a racecar at the shop,” Price said. “He hasn’t reached his NASCAR dream yet, but he is well on his way if he stays determined and works hard toward that goal.”

“Nothing is impossible, and with WIOA Program at LCC, we help make dreams come true. I enjoyed helping Garrett reach his goals. It is very fulfilling to be able to see the difference this program can make in the lives of the youth we serve,” she said.

“I am thankful for all the help I received from Ms. Tracey, Mr. Fred, and Charles,” Garrett said. “They never gave up on me and I am so grateful for that. I also want to thank God because I will be racing very soon. I recommend the WIOA Program at LCC to anyone that needs some help reaching their dreams.”

Jerome Increased his Wages by 40% with the Help of NCWorks

Jerome : Carteret Success Story

Jerome came to the Carteret NCWorks Career Center in January of 2022 inquiring about the CDL training offered at Carteret Community College. Jerome was struggling to make ends meet and was very eager to improve the living situation for his family. Jerome is a single parent and was in a job earning below his potential. At the time, he was employed with a local construction company, receiving $14 an hour. He had previously gone to college, but only completed 3.5 years. Rather than finishing his degree, he seized an opportunity to play professional basketball internationally, first with the Chinese Basketball Association and then for the El Salvador League. Jerome played professionally until he received a call that his father had died back in North Carolina, and he returned home to help his grieving mother.

In February 2022, he enrolled in the WIOA program through Carteret Community College. The program paid for Jerome's CDL training and other required fees. After he completed his training and acquired his CDL, Jerome soon found a job with J & R Schugel Trucking Inc., a nationally known employee-owned trucking company, operating over 1,000 vehicles. Since starting with the company, Jerome has steadily earned raises in pay and now sees increases according to the weight and number of miles he drives. After five months, Jerome is making a family sustainable wage of over $45,000 per year. That is a 40% increase in his wages within 6 months of earning his COL! His company also provides medical, dental, and vision benefits, paid leave, and life insurance.

Once struggling to overcome low wages and family tragedy, Jerome now finds himself in a position where he is thriving in his work. Jerome is excited about his future and now measures success by his perseverance and ability to provide for his family.

Veteran Chuck Found a New Career at an NCWorks Job Fair

Chuck : Onslow Success Story

Veteran Chuck first came to NCWorks after his Family Medical Leave Allowance (FMLA) had run its course and was terminated from his previous employment as a cross country CDL truck driver. Chuck is a very easy going, likable guy, and his resume is extremely varied and while he can operate a computer, prefers to use them as little as possible. Chuck was looking for a more hands-on type of job, mainly doing repairs as he has experience in this area dating back to his Navy days. After working with Chuck to update his resume, NCWorks assisted him with applying to a few jobs virtually, without hearing much, if anything back from the employers. The Career Advisor had received information from the local veteran employment representative, Gerry Cruz, stating that J&J Handleheld Snacks was going to be having a hiring event at the Jacksonville Onslow NCWorks Career Center location, and one of the positions needed was for industrial mechanic. The Career Advisor passed this information to Chuck and proceeded to assist him with the online application as well as some interview preparation. At the Job Fair Chuck interviewed and was tentatively hired, pending the results of a health screening. The week following his health screening, Chuck stopped by the Jacksonville NCWorks Career Center and told me he has been officially hired and would begin orientation and training immediately.

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