The Road to Success

We first spoke with Connor during his junior year of high school. He was referred to Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! (UPMW) by his school counselor. Connor expressed interest in gaining experience with the Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) early in conversations with his talent services specialist. At the beginning of his senior year his interest began to grow in completing a work-based-learning (WBL) with the MCRC.

Next, a UPMW business services specialist contacted the MCRC director of finance and administration about Connor training with the MCRC during the second semester of his senior year of high school. Connor was only available two hours per day, but the MCRC was happy to have him and accommodate. By the second semester of his senior year, Connor began his WBL while concurrently taking high school courses, participating in the welding program at the Northern Michigan University Jacobetti Complex, and working part-time as a laborer with a trucking company. He was a busy and motivated young man! The MCRC was pleased with his work and encouraged Connor to apply for future job openings.

Testimony from the Marquette County Road Commission: “ Connor was an exceptional fit to our organization, and we are grateful that he sought out our maintenance mechanics for work-based training! He was eager to learn and willing to try all things related to the field of heavy equipment. His experiences in other vocational endeavors (college-level welding courses!), provided an exclusive perspective to his hands-on experiences with our fleet. Connor’s immersion into the team at his work site was seamless and relationships created that will extend long beyond the duration of this program. In terms of the right student for the right worksite, Connor is a unicorn, and far exceeded our expectations of the program.”