Marquises' story is a story of true triumph and dedication. From losing his parents at an early age to the barriers he faced in his neighborhood growing up, he decided to take the best route he could, success. Knowing it wouldn't be easy, Marquise pushed away his barriers and continued to prosper. From being 30 minutes early to training every day to taking extra time at the end of his days to practice more on the forklift, Marquise stayed determined and led the class as an example. Marquise graduate with his OSHA10 and forklift license and he knows that was just the start. Marquise was a blessing to have in the program and reiterated why these types of resources are well needed in the community. With the help of his instructors and GWTP staff, we were also able to help Marquise obtain his driver's permit as well. Marquise has emphasized how important we are as an organization to him and his story is one of the reasons why we continue to come to work every day and serve our community!

Discovery Partners Institute partnered with Cognizant, a Fortune 200 company, and City Colleges of Chicago to create a pre-apprenticeship program, heavily focused on Java, which would lead to an opportunity to interview for a Full Stack Developer Apprenticeship position at Cognizant. Fifteen people, who met the criteria, were selected and started the program. This past quarter, thirteen of the original fifteen selected successfully completed the program, making them eligible for the apprenticeship opportunity. 

National Able/IT Career Lab's training leading to apprenticeship is off to a strong start.  For example, student Sherita has completed two semesters of the Cisco Certified Networking Associate training in just two months.  This training typically takes at least one full semester at the community college level, but Sherita has passed BOTH semesters with grades above 85% in just two months.  She is well on her way to obtaining the official, industry-recognized Cisco CCNA certificate, which will set her up very nicely for entry into either a Computer User or Computer Network Support apprenticeship via Cisco Meraki or other employer partners of National Able Network.