#Powerofajob: WorkSource helps a developer reboot his career
It’s Workforce Wednesday, when we spotlight Power of a Job success stories. This week, we bring you Wendell Macrae. With guidance from WorkSource staff, Wendell enrolled in several training programs that gave him the skills and confidence to pursue opportunities for new types of technology-related jobs.
My name is Wendell Macrae. In the summer of last year I got a call to come into WorkSource Vancouver. I was a little afraid at first since I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it actually went a lot better than I had thought. I had been unemployed for about six months and nothing was really happening. I wasn’t getting interviews and it was really tough to just keep at it. I was getting pretty discouraged.
Because I had worked in a technical field before, I was trying to get back into being a software developer, and I just wasn’t having much luck. The staff at WorkSource told me about the ReBoot Northwest program — that there was funding for training. That really gave my spirits a boost. Plus, I took a lot of [WorkSource] classes, which helped. I was in a rut. The classes helped get me out of that.
Strategies for Success
But then Joseph came into one of the classes and talked about Strategies for Success. I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend so much time. But what really got to me was that Joseph shared his personal story about how he’d gone through a period of unemployment, the trials and tribulations he went through and the toll it took on him. It resonated with me immediately and I thought: “I have to get in that class!” I saw Joseph as someone I could really interact and identify with.
ReBoot Northwest
That was in August. As a result, I went through ReBoot Northwest, where they told me about a new online program at Clark College called the mechatronics program. I went to some of the introductory seminars and got really excited about it, so I enrolled in the fall quarter. I made it through and now I’m enrolled in the winter quarter. I’ll get a certificate at the end, and the state is paying for it. I got a scholarship.
New perspective
I’ve really come a long way from when I first got here. And the thing about Strategies for Success — it really gave me a lot of perspective on things. It got me out of my comfort zone and made me think about things I haven’t thought about before. It gave me an enormous amount of tools, so when I complete this [mechatronics] program, I know I’ll be in a lot better shape to get a job I want.
The ReBoot Northwest program pairs motivated participants with personal career coaches who help prepare and connect them with high-wage and high-growth careers in technology and manufacturing. For more information go to rebootnw.org.
Strategies for Success is series of life and job skills classes on topics like work concepts, communications, finances and more. Sign up for these free classes at your local WorkSource office.
As a partner in Washington’s WorkSource system and the American Job Center Network, the Employment Security Department helps people — unemployed or not — find new jobs and learn new skills. We help them experience the life-changing Power of a Job. We also work with businesses, which are Powered by Jobs, to help them find employees.
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Originally published at washingtonesd.wordpress.com on November 28, 2018.
