Dane Watkins had been out of work for over 26 weeks and felt he was unable to re-enter the engineering field due to lack of project management certifications. “I was laid off, and felt helpless and that I couldn’t do anything about it,” said Dane. But that didn’t stop him. Dane attended an information session at National Able Network (Able) and decided to pursue the certifications by applying for the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) program.

“I started my career background as a design engineer, creating mechanisms and designs. I did very technical work at the beginning of my career; my later roles turned into managing projects,” explained Dane.

In order to re-enter and successfully continue on his destined career path, Dane worked with Career Coach Shawn McKenzie to develop a plan that would not only help him receive WIOA-funded training, but also fine-tune his job search skills. Shawn made sure to support Dane’s participation in several JUMPSTART! workshops provided by Able, including The Ultimate Guide to Resumes, Interviewing Success: All the Answers, Introduction to Networking, and many more.

His excellent planning skills and desire to succeed led Dane to earn two industry credentials: Certified Scrum Master and Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Additionally, Dane landed a job with Weber Grill working within the Consumer Products industry! Recalling his experience, Dane said, “The great thing is that with National Able [Network], you get to take an active role in helping yourself. You’re taking back control of your destiny just being proactive.”