Originally from Natchez, Miss., Rashaad Smith stumbled upon Job Corps after searching the internet for job opportunities. He had never heard of Job Corps before but was intrigued by the program and the free training. After graduating from high school in 2013, Rashaad was doing temporary work. He worked at a Walmart distribution center and was the manager at McDonald’s, but was looking for a career and not just another job.
Rashaad scheduled a Job Corps tour, and within a month, he had toured the center and was enrolled in the St. Louis Job Corps Center in St. Louis, Mo. He was excited to receive education and training in a field he was interested in—Building Construction Technology, the pre-apprentice training program offered by the Home Builders Institute (HBI).
While on center, Rashaad was involved with the positivity group, People of Paradise. The goal was to spread positivity throughout campus by setting up events for students to get together such as school dances and volunteer work.
Rashaad met a lot of new people from different backgrounds at Job Corps, several who he plans to stay in touch with to make sure they’re on their path that they have planned for themselves. He even met his fiancée on center, who will be completing her training about 3 to 4 months after Rashaad.
Rashaad was also the foreman of his training area. This meant he would assist the instructor and help other students with their hands-on training. He received experience teaching others the skills he previously learned. His HBI instructor was a role model for Rashaad throughout his time on center.
“My trade instructor [Mr. Roosevelt]—he’s a great role model. He helped us out no matter if it was in trade or if we needed someone to talk to about things going on at campus. He is a great person, great ear to listen to our problems and concerns.”
Rashaad’s overall experience exceeded his expectations. He remained focused on his goals and stayed positive. He enjoyed the opportunity to build a foundation to start the career he wanted.
Job Corps helped Rashaad with an opportunity to meet with Clayco at their facility, one of the nation’s largest top design build contractors. He interviewed with the company, and they were very excited about Rashaad. Once they found out Rashaad was interested in becoming an electrician, they connected him with Guarantee Electric.
Rashaad completed his training and graduated from Job Corps in December 2020. He began the apprenticeship program as an apprentice with Guarantee Electric in January 2021 and has plans to join the electrical union.
Through his training experience with HBI, Rashaad learned about plumbing, electrical, floor laying, roofing, putting in walls—every aspect of building a house. Ultimately, Rashaad learned what it took to be a leader and continues to use the skills he learned in his training area—both technical and interpersonal. In the future, he would like to build houses, get into real estate, and have a few properties as additional income.
“When you come here, there are going to be a lot of distractions. Stay focused and remember the reason you came, remember what you want to get out of it. Just stay focused and don’t get distracted.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2020 Employer: Apprentice, Guarantee Electrical Company, St. Louis, Missouri Hometown: Natchez, Mississippi Phone: 314-267-0190 Email: itsrashaad47@gmail.com Notes:
Source: Center Submission