Harry Coverdale wanted a better way to support his four children, but didn’t have many options. Although he had worked jobs before, he had never stayed with one employer for very long. Also, due to a prior conviction, he struggled to find work. Mr. Coverdale was desperate to make a positive change when he heard about West End’s Environmental Jobs program. “Although the class was already full, I begged Ms. Marlo [the program’s instructor] to let me in” he said. She did, and in just 5 weeks, Mr. Coverdale had completed 11 state and federal environmental certifications, including OSHA 10 and OSHA 40 – almost universally required for any job in the field.
Within a week of finishing the program, Mr. Coverdale was hired full-time by Astec Environmental. Almost a year later, he is still with the company and couldn’t be happier. “Io, Tom, Jess, Rob, Leon and all of the staff really care and want to give a second chance to people who want to do better for themselves” Mr. Coverdale said. He also commented that if it hadn’t been for Ms. Marlo giving him a chance, and the support of his fiancé, Dongi, pushing him to do better and want more, none of his achievements would have been possible.
Mr. Coverdale credits his job with keeping him out of trouble, as he is constantly working on different projects and has little time to hang out in his old neighborhood. Thanks to his experience in West End’s Environmental Jobs program, his probation officer has approved his move out-of-state (where he has already secured employment) to be closer to his fiancé. Mr. Coverdale was so satisfied by the results of completing West End’s Environmental Jobs program that he referred several of his friends, who also completed the program and are now employed in the field. In fact, he says, everyone in his class who completed the program is now working.