When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country in March 2021, many in metro Atlanta found themselves losing careers they had spent years building in just the blink of an eye. Others had to try and make the best of the usual life challenges in an unpredictable environment.

One of these community members was Mark*, who had to leave his job due to a work-related injury. Mark had just started his family, and was looking to improve his IT skills through training opportunities and certification courses. However, Mark lacked the funds to pursue his goal and provide for his family, and was also hindered by a lack of confidence due to his injury.

Mark reached out to JF&CS Career Services for help, and everything fell into place perfectly. We found a curriculum through Grow with Google where, for a small monthly fee, a participant could enroll in an IT training course and become certified. At the same time, a volunteer approached us asking to mentor somebody in the IT field. It was the perfect match, and we linked up our volunteer with Mark.

Over the next nine months, Mark worked hard to graduate from a Python Coding certification course. With our help, he secured a full scholarship from Google for the course and ended up paying nothing for the coursework or certification.

From there, he worked closely with our careers staff to create a job search plan, hone his resume, offer interviewing advice, and enhance his LinkedIn profile. His mentors also provided career support and networking opportunities. Mark applied for IT Support and Software Developer positions. Through the power of networking, and with help from our resources, Mark secured a full-time, salaried position with benefits at a large technology company.

Mark’s story came at a time when Career Services was already assessing and scanning the community for opportunities. We were seeking to provide opportunities for those with existing skills to up their competencies and advance further in their chosen field. Through the success of Mark’s story, we are encouraged that this pilot program will become a model for future upskilling and mentoring programs.

People like Mark come to the JF&CS Career Services center every day for help. No matter what stage of your career you are in, we have services that can give you the competitive edge you need to get the career of your dreams. Visit our Career Services page today to see what we can do for you.

*Name changed to protect client’s privacy.