For five years, Abdessalam “Abdul” Mansori had been working at home for a not-for-profit helping veterans and military spouses transition into tech jobs. The money was good, but he was tired of sitting at a desk. He decided to try something more active.

He found the BY Roads program online, but at first it was hard to believe that 10 weeks of training was actually free. Once he verified the details, he enrolled in the class at Southeast Community Services.

“It turned out to be a fantastic investment of my time,” Abdul says.

The class offered more than he bargained for: He received training in how to handle power tools and hand tools, acquired industry lingo, and learned the secrets of construction math, making measurements, and reading blueprints. Abdul’s instructor was top-notch, and his navigator, Macoy Riley, “worked his behind off” making sure everyone in the class stayed on track.

Thanks to BY Roads, Abdul has earned multiple certifications: an NCCER Core Certificate, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration 30 Hour Construction Safety and Health (OSHA-30) card, OSHA Skid Steer Certification and Flagger Certification.

Abdul also learned how to leverage both his previous experience and his classroom learning to beef up his resume.

That paid off big time when, less than 30 days after graduating, he received an offer from the Carpenters Local Union No. 301. They even invited him to start as a second-year apprentice, although he was just starting out. The union give him a year of credit in light of his training through BY. That meant a pay bump of $5 per hour. And, thanks to the six-plus years he spent in the Army, Abdul also was able to take advantage of the Helmets to Hardhats program, which supports job transitions for veterans.

Abdul was thrilled with his success. He’s now working for F.A. Wilhelm Construction on a project at the Eli Lilly and Co. headquarters.

“I’m enjoying the work,” Abdul says. “I’m applying everything I learned from the BY course, both from the books and the instructor.”

He is choosing to work 10-hour days now so that he can learn the trade quickly. Once he feels more comfortable, he’ll be able to dial back his hours and also choose his daily work schedule so that he can spend more time at home with his wife and two young children.

“My future outlook is tremendous,” Abdul says. And best of all, he didn’t have to go into debt to get his training.

“This is by far one of the best beginning-to-end programs I’ve seen,” Abdul says. He emphasizes that BY doesn’t just offer training, but job fairs and employment assistance that almost guarantee you a job after graduation.

“I don’t have the words to describe how grateful I am that I stumbled on BY Roads,” Abdul says. “You’d be an idiot not to take advantage of it.”

Stories like Abdul’s wouldn’t be possible without support from Lilly Endowment – Thank you!