Jobseeker Stories

Ronald Cabuag
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) training at South Seattle Community College

“This is pretty much a dream come true. It changed my life, and I mean that from my heart."

Thanks to Recovery Act funding, the WDC can directly purchase cohorts (a course series for a group of students) at colleges.

“No one is more grateful than me,” says Ronald Cabuag, who began Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) training in June at South Seattle Community College. After two years of prerequisites, Ron was struggling to get into an LPN class. Because these classes are so expensive for colleges to offer, waiting lists are long and only the best students make it in. On top of that, Ron didn’t know if he could afford school on his salary as a dialysis technician.

From “just barely making it” on $15 an hour now, Ron will earn $20 or more as an LPN in a year. His ultimate goal is to become an RN, which will bring even more income.

Through the Recovery Act and state matching funds pledged by Governor Gregoire, the WDC is spending $1.6 million for ten cohort classes at seven local colleges. Occupations include nursing, accounting, computer engineering, and project management. More than 200 people will be trained.

 

Susan Mason
Technical Designer - Boeing Company

Susan Mason wasn’t expecting to get excited about airplane parts, but she did. A jewelry designer for more than 20 years, she discovered after being laid off that she qualified for Worker Retraining funds. To her surprise, she also learned that she was a good fit for engineering graphics and computer-aided design courses at Lake Washington Technical College.

Connected with WorkSource to access more financial resources for training, Susan also found support, motivation and help in navigating the world of financial aid. After two years, she was hired by the Boeing Company as a technical designer.