Alex is a young man who email questions about the Pathways to Prosperity grant, specifically the Accelerated Welding class. His probation officer had given him the information and he was interested and wanted to know if he qualified for grant money. He was currently working as a chef in a local bar/restaurant.
We met and after talking about all the programs he decided that he was interested in the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) class instead.
Alex finished the Accelerated Welding class at MSC-Southeast Winona and had a job at Fastenal in Winona before he graduated. He will continue to go to school for CNC at Minnesota State College-Southeast Winona in a 2-year program, while working at Fastenal. They will reimburse him when he completes the semesters. Alex started work in March and has already been promoted at Fastenal.
This was a thank you note from Alex at the end of his class.
“I just wanted to say thank you for all the help and support I got from the Wabasha Workforce Development, Inc. office. I got the opportunity to take the CNC class and open the doors to a future in a CNC career. Right away I got a job at Fastenal and you continued to show me support and made sure that I had everything I need for work. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in a job and you helped me find the perfect fit.” – Alex
I contacted him recently and asked if he would sign a release and if he would be OK with having a picture and his journey published. He signed the release, sent a picture, and this was his response: “Let me know if there is any other way I can help. I really appreciate everything you guys have done for me. I would love for the grant to continue so you can help as many people as possible. Hopefully they will all make the best of it. If there is anything more that I can do, I would love to help.”
Submitted by Kim Buysse, Career Navigator
