Upon completion, participants have a leg up to enter the workforce, find an apprenticeship, or continue their education, Cruse said.
“There is such a sense here of commitment to improve their lives. They feel empowered and at the same time supported by the community,” Cruse said. “They’ve really developed some skills and self-confidence, and the big step forward is now to turn this into jobs.”
Participants range in age and previous experience, but most join the program for similar reasons, including to earn more lucrative income and to have a career they enjoy.
Trenton Warren had no formal education in electrical work, but broke into the field after meeting McGhee on a job site where he’d been doing construction. A 17-year-old at the time, Warren soon began job shadowing McGhee before deciding to open his own business, Warrens Electric LLC.
“This is a trade I want to be in for the rest of my life,” Warren, now 21, said Saturday.
Erick Watson, 53, said he was drawn to the electrical field in an effort to earn more money and to shift toward a less physically demanding job.
“This is one of the highest paying trades right now,” he said, adding that he has previous experience in remodeling and roofing. “There was a lot of money in that, too, but it was back-breaking.”
Program participants also had access Saturday to the Montgomery County Mobile Workforce Unit — an RV repurposed as an extension of the Job Center in Dayton. The Mobile Workforce Unit allows individuals to get assistance with resumes, job searches, job training opportunities, and more.
To learn more, visit daytonurbanministry.org.
