Young KRA Customer Continues Journey to Career Success
The article, KRA Staff Put the “Work” in Networking, reported on 21-year old, unemployed Iain Tapscott, who in November 2017, enrolled in YouthWorks!, operated by KRA for the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC).
Subsequent to required career-development assessments, counseling, and guidance provided by the Career Coaching and Workplace Excellence Teams, Iain remained unwavering in his career objective to become a certified, licensed HVAC Technician…presenting quite a challenge to identify companies willing to hire him, without industry experience or training, except for a few high-school courses.
Relentlessly, Team members researched and networked with local HVAC firms to develop an on-the-job training opportunity for Iain, eventually meeting with success in negotiating a Work Experience (WEX) contract with JDL HVAC Services. The owner, Joe Liles, offered Iain a 300-hour subsidized “earn-and-learn” internship on May 29, 2018.
In retrospect, Iain admitted that he struggled a bit, finding real work a lot more challenging than course work. However, realizing what an incredible chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity the WEX presented, he persevered, completed the internship, and earned a permanent Helper position with JDL on August 1, 2018.
In March 2019, Iain obtained his EPA Section 608 Type 1 Technician Certification and Maryland DLLR HVAC Apprentice License! Mr. Liles, a Licensed Master, reports that he is impressed with Iain’s perseverance and progress, and is committed to supporting his ultimate, long-range goal of owning an HVAC business—for which he will need a Journeyman Certification and License, which could take up to 5 years of additional experience and training.
Iain concluded, “Enrolling in the AAWDC program was the best decision of my life! It took longer than I hoped it would to get into the HVAC industry, but it was well worth the time and effort!”