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Kimberly Washington, a mother of two children, worked as a Production Operator for Mondelez International for more than three years. When Mondelez announced that it was laying off 800 employees, Kimberly was unfortunately one of them. At the time of her lay-off, her primary concern was how to continue supporting her children, and although the manufacturing industry was not where she envisioned herself, the need for income was more immediate than pursuing education or career training. Through assistance from National Able Network, Kimberly became aware of the various options available to her through the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and her career and her life soon changed. 

Through TAA, Kimberly received assistance with living and travel expenses, and she was able to return to school to pursue her interest in phlebotomy. She started a phlebotomy training program and successfully completed it in just one year! “I was always very interested in phlebotomy, but working took up a lot of my time, so I couldn’t pursue school as much as I wanted to,” said Kimberly. In addition to completing the phlebotomy course, Kimberly was able to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Psychology.

During her coursework, Kimberly worked with National Able Network Career Coach, Mayra Salgado. Kimberly said, “Communication with Mayra was absolutely amazing. Everything was excellent!” Prior to her course completion, Kimberly did not have a lot of luck job searching in the medical field. However, the moment she put the phlebotomy course on her resume, she began receiving offers!

After applying for a career in healthcare, Kimberly was offered a position as Network Coordinator for a healthcare provider! “I have a job, I’m not working crazy hours, and now I have fun while I’m doing it,” says Kimberly, “Everybody at National Able Network is amazing. I appreciate every bit of help that they gave me. Keep up the good work!”

Congratulations, Kimberly!