David

Apprenticeship Preparation Program

Dave, affectionately known around Flintridge as Cowboy, is a graduate of our Apprenticeship Preparation Program and a member of the Local 409 Carpenter’s Union. At 51 years old, and with eight prison terms, Dave has very little work experience. He says, “The biggest problem of mine was just getting out of prison and not having a game plan… wanting to make money but not knowing how to make money the right way… always falling back to criminal activity.” Since joining the pre-apprenticeship program last fall, Dave says “it’s been just one blessing after the other.”

One of Dave’s biggest obstacles to employment was the job interview. He says he would talk himself out of going because of his background and lack of experience. The APP gave him “the confidence to go there and do it and to do it well.” Shortly after graduating, Dave applied the skills he learned and secured a job as a union carpenter.

He recently stopped by the office to show off a big paycheck. He told us, “That’s pretty good for an old man with no work experience and a bunch of felonies.”