We featured a success story this week. A.J. Middleton went from living in his car for a short period to earning two welding certificates and a job at local truck manufacturer VT Hackney.
He is to be commended for making such great strides at age 20.
Middleton’s story is a testament to the certification programs Beaufort County Community College, Beaufort County Schools and the Economic Development Advisory Board have lauded these last few months.
The certification program provides proof to employers that the beholders are ready to work with a verifiable skill set that can be applied to many local businesses.
There’s another commendable Beaufort Countian in the Middleton story: his welding instructor, Ted Clayton. If you haven’t toured his department or had the opportunity to meet him, you should remedy that soon.
Beaufort County was struck with some bad news in the loss of more than 80 jobs at its largest manufacturing employer in the county.
But, here’s the good news: there are people like Clayton who are training people in a matter of months for careers in a well-paying field. Clayton goes one step further by using his connections to place many of his students.
“If it wasn’t for instructors pushing me the way they do — along with support from friends and family — I don’t know where I’d be,” Middleton said.
The BCCC welding certifications do not come with a guaranteed job. But we can guarantee you will find an ally in some of those classes and your best bet is to start with Clayton.