Meet Cory, Careers In Technology Graduate
Goodwill Columbus is incredibly fortunate to be one of three Goodwill sites selected nationwide to facilitate a U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) TechHire grant. The $1.03 million awarded to Goodwill Columbus will provide computer programmer and support specialist training to more than 200 at-risk and disadvantaged Central Ohioans aged 17-29 who want to enter the Information Technology field. Goodwills in Austin, Texas, and Roanoke, Virginia, were also awarded TechHire grants and together the three states will serve 702 individuals.
A success story continually in progress, Cory, now 28, moved to Columbus at the age of 22 to live with his mom and step-dad when Cory lost his housing in his home state of Minnesota. Sadly, his mom passed away shortly thereafter, and then his step-dad lost his landscaping position. An awful situation was made worse when Cory’s beloved cat died.
An associate at a Goodwill Columbus retail location, Cory, who is very shy and reserved and not one to share his problems openly, was under a tremendous amount of pressure to keep a roof over everyone’s head and was pulling as many hours as possible at Goodwill to keep his small family housed and fed. Sometimes, staying afloat meant making hard decisions about what to pay for, and with rent at the top of the list, he and his step-dad spent a good part of the winter without heat. Cory, who has always had an interest in and aptitude for electronics, knew he needed to get on a better path. Through in-store advertising he heard while working at Goodwill, he learned about the nonprofit’s workforce development program offerings. Reaching out was hard for Cory, but he did it.
After talking with several Workforce Development career counselors, Cory settled on the Tech Hire initiative, where disadvantaged youth can learn help desk support and earn certifications in the field. Cory tested into the class and did exceptionally well in the eight-week course. When it came time to take the certification tests – the 901 and the 902 - Cory passed on the first try. Make no mistake, these tests are challenging, and it was hard for Cory to find the time to study, but he did because he knew THIS was the path to a better future.
After he received his certifications, Cory was selected for a paid two-week internship in IT with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. Cory performed so well that his manager, Dave, extended his internship status to “indefinite” in the hopes that Cory will continue to learn and grow in this professional IT department and learn enough to earn a permanent position. Cory is continually supported by Goodwill Workforce Development staff on his new path and we can’t wait to see what the next chapter will bring for this dedicated and hardworking young man.
