Exploring and Discovering a Dream: Christian’s Story

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Sometimes balancing the responsibilities of school and young adult life with extracurriculars can be a challenging task. But employU client Christian seems to be an expert when it comes to keeping up with his responsibilities. Ambitious and hard-working, Christian has completed ten On-the-Job Trainings (OJTs), the Work Readiness Training, the Self-Advocacy Workshop, a Career Camp, and a Summer Youth Camp in 2019.  

While the Self-Advocacy Workshop and Work Readiness Training prepared Christian for taking a step into the workforce, Career Camp and OJTs allowed him to explore and discover different possible career paths. During Career Camp, Christian got to interact with and hear from professionals from a variety of different industries. These guest speakers not only describe their career field, they also answer any questions the students may have. With On-the-Job Trainings, students are paid while they gain work experience. This hands-on career exploration option allows students to discover and gain experience in industries and positions. 

During his time working OJTs, Christian participated in our BRICK program. BRICK stands for Brevard Internship in Construction Knowledge Program. In this Industry-Based Work Experience program, Brevard County Builders and Contractors partnered with employU to offer work experience and on-the-job trainings in construction trades in Brevard County. During his time with BRICK, Christian interned at Capritta Appliances and loved every moment of his work-based learning experience with them. He had finally found a field, company, and environment that was perfectly suited to him. 

Since his experience with Capritta, Christian has dreamed of landing a job there. He continued to follow up with them every three months to check for job openings. His persistence and patience paid off. They finally had a job opening. Christian expressed his interest for the position and was hired. He is now employed as an apprentice and is working towards being able to perform repairs and installations on his own. “Christian is truly a success story… you can give [students] on-the-job trainings and find something that just clicks with them,” says Transition Area Manager, Glenna Scheidt. We are proud to have been a part of Christian’s journey and are excited to see him continue to grow in his chosen career.