Success Stories

Mike 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...

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Amanda 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...

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Delanté 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,...

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Nicole 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...

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Andrew 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...

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Emily 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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Michelle

March 8, 2017

The world of telesales can be an unpredictable and often stressful experience for an employee.  Meeting deadlines and filling required quotas can seem like an uphill battle at times.  This was the case for Michelle.  After some time in this profession, and after the struggle of managing these deadlines and quotas, she made the difficult decision to resign from her job. During the course of applying for the unemployment benefits that were going to help sustain her household, she attended a...

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Rachel

March 8, 2017

Sometimes life throws you a curveball.  And sometimes it throws you right off your feet. For Rachel, it started when the family moved to northwestern Pennsylvania for her husband’s job.  She had been working as an auditor but couldn’t find similar work in their new community.  “That kind of career path just didn’t exist,” she said.  So, like many people, she took what jobs she could find in order to pay the bills.  Then her husband’s company downsized.

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