Success Stories
Denis Ayers
April 23, 2020
Serving the general public in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties, the Western Maryland Consortium is a regional workforce development agency. We strive to help workers improve their skills and find employment, leading to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Skilled training is provided to those with a demonstrated need and is aligned with the skill shortages that have been reported by local employers.
Read MoreZaira Rodriguez
March 23, 2020
Zaira is a Career Pathways participant that has successfully been progressing through all of her steps towards completing the Certified Medicine Aide Certification program at HCC. What is truly remarkable is that Zaira first became my client in November 2018 and not once did she lose sight of her many goals.
Read MoreBarry Upole
March 3, 2020
Barry Upole has always been willing to work hard as he proved while working on his family’s farm growing up in Garrett County, MD. Now with a young family of his own to support, Barry knew he wanted to secure a great future for them. He contacted the Garrett County office of the Western Maryland Consortium in January 2019 ready to make a change and take the first step towards his future.
Read MoreJohn Martin
March 3, 2020
John Martin has been known in the community as a young man with a strong work and moral ethic. Because of this, a local business owner focused on designing and crafting canoes contacted the Western Maryland Consortium Garrett County office when he had a job opening at their workshop in Oakland, Maryland. The business known as Savage River is a small family owned operation that has international outreach because it ships custom canoes around the world, including to Great Britain and Australia....
Read MoreMike Kessell
March 13, 2019
Mike Kessell registered with the Allegany County Office of the Western Maryland Consortium with the intent of pursuing a training program that would provide not just a job but a career. He discovered that Allegany College of Maryland was offering a course in Shielded Metal Arc Welding. Mike was approved for WIOA dislocated worker funding and began the traininig in the fall of 2018. Mike completed the class in January of 2019 and immediately obtained employment with the Western Maryland Scenic...
Read MoreAmanda Lloyd
March 8, 2019
Amanda Lloyd, a certified phlebotomist, received on the job training at Garrett Regional Medical Center through Western Maryland Consortium’s Work Experience Program. Through participating in the two-month program, she gained hands-on experience that enabled her to land a full-time position working in GRMC’s lab department. With prior experience in the healthcare field, Amanda went back to school at Garrett College to receive phlebotomy training and certification. Through her training, she...
Read MoreDelanté Stewart
October 12, 2018
A couple of summers ago, Delanté Stewart seemed like he was facing a mountain. Of dishes, that is. Stewart, then 21 years old, had a job at a local restaurant that required him to wash dishes and pots and pans. It didn’t take long for him to realize he wanted something different. His path eventually took him to the American Job Center in downtown Cumberland. He intended to fill out applications and find a new job. He accidentally stumbled onto a career. At the urging of a Job Service worker,...
Read MoreNicole Stratton
August 31, 2018
A single mother of three children ages 13, 10 and 6 months, she was tired of feeling underpaid and overworked in her position as a certified nursing assistant. Life wasn’t anywhere near what she’d dreamed. It was time for a change. A friend suggested she check out the Western Maryland Consortium. Maybe someone there could help. At the Consortium in downtown Cumberland, case manager Gail Groves determined Stratton was eligible for assistance under what is known now as the Workforce Innovation...
Read MoreAndrew Himes
August 27, 2018
If Andrew Himes of Boonsboro could pick his dream job, it would definitely be related to baseball. ... Diagnosed with Hurler syndrome when he was 1 1/2 years old, Andrew has had 20 surgeries, but he maintains an upbeat, positive attitude. At about 4 feet tall, he is shorter than most people his age, but he has the spirit of a giant. ... He is one of 47 students gaining summer work experience through DORS and the Western Maryland Consortium, which provides workforce development services...
Read MoreEmily Howsare
August 24, 2018
The road back home for Emily Howsare was chock full of ruts and potholes. Her landing spot, however, has been as smooth as silk. Howsare, 20, of LaVale, recently began her new position as teacher’s aide at Calvary Christian Academy in Cresaptown. Howsare had left CCA after 13 years as a student upon graduation in 2016. Her plan then was to attend Allegany College of Maryland and major in early childhood education. Ultimately, Howsare said, she wanted to become a teacher.
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