In his teens, Rob made the decision to leave high school for a job at an independent tech store. He did well, starting out as a janitor but quickly moving up in the ranks to become head tech. His employers recognized his skill and knowledge, and rewarded him for it.
Unfortunately, after seven years as head tech, the store Rob worked for went out of business. It was at a time when a lot of smaller independent stores where closing. Rob found himself at a big box store.. Tech services like Rob had been providing were starting to move off-site from stores, so Rob found himself really performing in a retail function. He stuck with it for years, until just over three years ago when he was laid off.
At the same time Rob was laid off, his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. Rob decided that he would care for his grandmother full-time, and did so until she passed last July. A short while after her passing, Rob had not yet landed a job and he found himself visiting the MSC food bank.
“Everyone requires you to at least have a GED. I had thought about it, but the charges and classes just seemed insurmountable at the time,” shared Rob.
Rob happened to visit the library at the same time MSC was there with a resource table. He came over to look at what other program besides the food bank were offered by MSC, and found that he could get support and financial assistance to take his GED. He signed up and started classes in December. By February, he had passed all four tests and earned his GED.
“I received good support from staff. If I needed help, I had someone. They were so familiar with the materials, they could help direct you to the areas you need the most practice to pass the tests. They helped fill the holes.”
Rob is now one step closer to obtaining employment. He is also getting connected with employment resources to help him find success in his job search.
