When Cassandra David arrived at the Alaska Job Corps Center in 2019, she was looking for a way to make a stable income and set herself up for independence. Cassandra did not know she would soon end up as a leader in the Construction training program, a typically male-dominated industry. She never let being one of the only women in the shop stop her. Instead, she let it motivate her. Cassandra committed to working that much harder to prove her worth. She gave it her all, and it paid off.
During her time in the Alaska Job Corps Construction program, the center began a work-based learning program with H-5, a local construction company that has built everything from apartment complexes to business plazas. In their first 5 years alone, H-5 grew from four employees to upward of 50. Due to their rapid growth, the company looked to Job Corps students to help meet their growing demand.
Company representatives admit that, when the idea to bring Cassandra on their team came up, they were reluctant. They were unsure whether she would be able to handle the extensive manual labor and keep up with their busy schedules. With many people in the community counting on them, they pride themselves on hiring only the best of the best.
With her Job Corps instructors and staff vouching for her, H-5 brought Cassandra on, and she quickly proved her worth. After just 4 weeks of work-based learning, H-5 reached out to Job Corps with one simple question: “How can we keep Cassandra long-term?” One year later, Cassandra has earned not only one, but two raises in her time with H-5 and is considered an integral part of the construction team to everyone who works with her.
When reflecting on her experience with Job Corps, Cassandra pointed out that Job Corps gave her the real-life experience she needed to succeed. “I would like to thank Job Corps for helping me with my training and for helping me become accustomed to the world of working,” Cassandra said. “Getting to my Carpentry class at 7:20 a.m. every morning was not easy, but it prepared me for the world of construction.”
Cassandra hopes to one day reach the level of foreperson on H-5 construction projects as well as pursue welding so that she may take her skills one step further.
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2019 Employer: H-5 Construction Hometown: Alaska Submitted by: John Alcantra (Alaska Job Corps Community and Business Liaison)