After having to be self-reliant from a young age and not feeling a sense of direction, Allen Furniss dropped out of high school at age 14. He moved across the country searching for a place of belonging and purpose.
At 18 years old, Allen knew he needed to turn his life around fast and reached out to a Job Corps admissions counselor for help. After discussing opportunities and options at Job Corps with his counselor, he enrolled as soon as he could.
Allen always had a knack for electronics, so he chose to enroll in the Electrical training program. He came from a long line of trade workers and had previously loved his early trade education experiences in the Technical Students Association in middle school. Job Corps gave Allen the chance to rediscover his love for technology and electronics, but this time as a vocation.
Allen wasn’t used to the consistent support and encouragement that he found at Job Corps.
“At Job Corps, you may not have parents to go to; but you do have your instructors and staff. This was my first experience with people truly taking care of me, and they became like a second mother and father. They molded me into the adult and professional I am today.”
While at Woodland Job Corps Center, Allen learned the value of working with his hands, not just from a book. Through several work-based learning experiences, Allen put his classroom lessons to the test. One of these experiences was an internship with instructor Anthony Tousant, who also owned his own company, Advanced Fiber and Cable. Following Allen’s graduation in 2003, Anthony hired him full time and helped him find his first home and his first vehicle.
Sadly, Anthony passed away shortly afterward. Allen honored his mentor Anthony by teaching his class at Job Corps for eight months, all while balancing work at the shop. He served as a part-time instructor and greatly enjoyed teaching the training program he had once learned in that very classroom.
Allen eventually moved on to work for Comcast. Through Comcast’s training program, he quickly noticed that students who advanced the furthest were all Job Corps graduates.
“Throughout my career, I have realized that having Job Corps on your resume will help you move up quicker and give you an edge in the workforce. The only people I’ve seen who have made it as far as I have, have been Job Corps students. In Job Corps, the training and knowledge you gain is a privilege. Thankfully, Job Corps is free and available. It’s sad that more people don’t take advantage of the opportunities and education Job Corps provides.”
Allen currently works as a project manager for Astound Broadband, designing and building telecommunications networks. His goal is to someday lead his own cable systems company across the East Coast or nationally.
His advice to incoming students? “Learn as much as you can. Diversify your experiences and take them with you.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2003 Employer: Astound Broadband (previously known as RCN), Washington, D.C. Hometown: Temperanceville, Virginia Phone: 410-855-0425 Email: allen.furniss@rcn.net Submitted by: Lydia Henry Notes:
Source: National Office