In August 2023, Jose enrolled in the WIOA Out-of-School Youth (OSY) program offered in partnership with Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board and PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley. As a returning enrollee, young father with a new addition on the way, and low-income background, he was determined to get his CDL A license and pursue a better quality of life for himself and soon-to-be growing family. 

Upon re-enrolling in the program, Jose was working full-time overnight, but was dedicated to completing the Employability Skills workshops in person where he was taught how to write an effective resume and cover letter, interview techniques, job retention, and much more. He soon began working with his recruiter to pick the best school for him to complete his training while studying for his permit. 

Jose was steadfast in completing program requirements to apply for training including the CASAS exam and remediation. Although he encountered challenges to achieve the necessary scores for training, he persevered to increase his scores with the help of the instructors and successfully attained the scores required for his desired training program. In February 2024, Jose enrolled in the CDL A program at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.

Committed to succeed, Jose quickly completed his training ahead of schedule, and received his CDL A license in February 2024. With the prospect of fatherhood on the horizon, he began searching for a local job that would allow him to come home every night to be his family. Jose was aware that there would be challenges to securing a locally based position as a new driver, but he worked diligently with his recruiter to search and apply for jobs. 

Finally, in July 2024, Jose landed employment as a CDL B School Bus Driver at Student Transportation of America earning $17 per hour where he was able to have a schedule that allowed him to be with his new family.