Michael began his journey with NC Works NextGen in January 2020. He was enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College to complete the General Educational Development (GED) program, and despite the campuses shutting down during the pandemic, Michael successfully attained his GED. Not wanting that to be the end of the road, his youth advocate and he began exploring career options available through the NextGen program.

It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me. NCWorks has created opportunities for me that I may have been able to do on my own, but certainly not with as much ease as this whole process has been.

Michael enrolled in October 2020 for the HVAC class. Despite many of his classes being taught online, he earned his HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) certification. To facilitate the skills learned, his Youth advocate sought work opportunities in the community. She was successful in helping Michael get connected to a Work Experience at EANES HVAC in February 2021. Due to his strong work ethic, EANES increased his responsibilities and offered him a position leveraging on-the-job training to further his training.

Michael is thrilled that he received assistance from NextGen, helping him get out of the restaurant industry and start his career pathway. He credits much of his success to the program and the relationship-building with his Career Advisor.

If you’re 16-24 years old and want to find a meaningful career, get in touch with a youth advocate with the NCWorks NextGen program today.