Braiden
Braiden first heard about WIOA funding assistance while attending welding training at Midwest Technical Institute in Springfield, Illinois. Midwest Technical Institute (MTI) staff had referred him based on eligibility for funding assistance. Braiden decided to attend MTI after getting laid off in 2021, and he needed new skills to help find employment. “MTI had a good reputation and was fairly close to home,” Braiden said.
It took Braiden a little while to find his career calling, but once he did, he formed a plan and stuck to it. “The training definitely gave me the background and tools necessary to get my foot in the door, and begin a solid career path,” Braiden explained.
Braiden described the WIOA services as very helpful. It can be stressful when you’re having to worry about making payments and wondering, if I am going to be able to get through all this,” Braiden said.
Having tuition assistance from WIOA allowed him to focus more on school rather than worry about how to pay for it. In addition to the tuition support, it was good to have someone touch base with Braiden regularly. He was also grateful for transportation reimbursement for his commute to and from school.
Braiden showed a lot of determination during his training, as he was also working a part-time job in the evening while attending school during the day.
Braiden described how welding education, and the employment opportunities since, impacted the person he is today. “I’m a lot more confident in my abilities and in myself,” he says.
After graduation from MTI’s welding program he gained work experience at B and R Construction and later was accepted into the Boilermakers Union local 363 out of Belleville, Illinois. Braiden has been with them about a year and reports the work has been going really well. He is also a part of a Journeyman boilermaker apprentice program, allowing him to continue his education while gaining work experience. His assignments involve being dispatched to make emergency repairs at different power plants and oil refineries.
Braiden was very appreciative of all the WIOA supports saying, “I hope those who are unable to pay or who don’t have the means, won’t give up, but instead, seek out resources like WIOA to achieve their career goals.”