How Advanced Training Transformed Edris’ Life

Edris knows the value of being teachable and gaining new skills. Growing up in the projects of Flint, Michigan, his first job was washing dishes in a busy restaurant when he was 16. Edris saw each duty in the kitchen as an opportunity to learn something new.

“I watched everybody working around me and was always chipping in to help,” Edris says. “I wanted to be an asset, and once I learned something it was easy.”

This mindset of teachability and yearning for knowledge defines Edris, and when he walked out of prison in 2023 and joined the workforce for the first time in 17 years, he knew that the key to his success would be getting advanced training in any field.

“I love learning because it makes me feel unstoppable, so not being able to take any classes when I was incarcerated hurt,” Edris says. “As soon as I got released I started looking for a job and a trade to study.”

Edris learned about the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Pontiac from his parole officer and was elated to learn that in addition to hiring justice-impacted people for transitional work crews, they also have paid the tuition for some participants to attend a vocational school.

Edris joined a transitional crew and spent the next six months cleaning up roadways and beautifying Detroit. Once a week, he met with a job coach to work on his resume, conduct mock interviews, and use search engines to find a quality job, but Edris wanted more. Ultimately, he decided to take a vocational assessment test and see if he could enroll in a trade school.

Edris explains that CEO was issuing him regular work incentive checks as part of the Retention Program. However, after he performed well on the heavy equipment portion of the assessment tests, it was decided that Edris should attend the Detroit Training Center.

“CEO paid for my tuition, personal protective equipment, and my work boots,” Edris says. “Going back to school was something I never thought I'd be doing. I didn't know anything about machinery and heavy equipment, but I knew that if I were teachable, it would pay off in a job.”

The seven-week course at the Detroit Training Center allowed Edris to earn certificates in nine areas, including first aid and CPR, OSHA, and forklift operations. Edris says he was excited to learn something new, kept an open mind, paid attention, and asked questions in class.

“My training was my whole focus, and I was determined to complete the program,” says Edris. “I was confident that it would open up career opportunities for me and increase my chances of finding a quality job because I put the work in.”

CEO and the training center helped Edris build a new resume based on his newly acquired skills and gave him job leads. One month after graduating, Edris was offered an entry-level position in a factory, operating a hydraulic forklift for lucrative pay, and after three months says he is very happy with his current position.

“I'm very grateful that CEO gave me an opportunity to advance my career,” says Edris. “Advanced training programs will help you move forward, but you have to show CEO that you want it. They have a whole team of people who will show up for you if you’re doing the work. They are like a family who always has open arms for you.”