Success Story
Desmond
Desmond L., now 33 years old, has always been a hard worker. “I did a little construction here and there, renovations, worked as a machine operator, in warehouses,” he said.
But his BY training experience made him a professional, he said.
“I was just a handyman working with power tools before,” he said. “Through BY, I got hands-on training and learned so much more. Anything I was offered, I took. I was one of the MVPs in my class.”
Desmond heard about BY from a friend who spotted the program at a community event.
“BY gave me more tools, and I earned the NCCER Core and OSHA 30 certificates,” he said. He also noted that he is automatically cleared for his initial drug testing.
When he graduated from the BY program in March, Desmond had been working as a roofer, but work was slow. He looked for steadier work.
“I found my current job on Indeed,” he said, “Those certifications plus my experience is why I got the interview.”
Desmond soon landed a position as a builder at Corsi Group, a cabinet manufacturer that sells to more than 500 authorized dealers in the U.S. With a new baby at home, he plans to do roofing work on the side during the busy season but intends to stay with Corsi long-term.
“BY is a great program, and I’d recommend it to anyone,” Desmond said. “I’m really glad I went through it. You’ve got to know what you want and be willing to put the time into it to better yourself.”
Stories like Desmond’s wouldn’t be possible without support from Lilly Endowment – Thank you!