Uriah worked as an installation supervisor making $15 an hour when the company he worked for shut down and he lost his job. After almost a year of trying to find another job, he turned to Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action (HAPCAP) to upgrade his skills.
Uriah was interested in upgrading his skills so that he could find a good paying job with benefits to take care of himself and his family. When he signed up for HAPCAP’s dislocated worker program, he was assigned a case manager who referred him to multiple programs both internally and externally to help his situation. Uriah was interested in a welding class and his case manager worked with him to provide assistance with the training, as well as provide other supportive services, such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), while he worked to broaden his skill set.
Uriah successfully completed the training program and graduated less than a year later. His case manager continued to work with him to provide support for his job search and placement. Three months later Uriah accepted a position with a company as an apprentice for the Sheet Metal Workers Union.
Uriah successfully navigated the economic downturn, upgraded his skills and found a new career thanks to the help of HAPCAP.