“A few years back, I began doing carpentry work with my uncle and it, it just kind of stuck to me,” explains Turner Job Corps student William Core.

And Will is doing very well in his new career.

“Will is a very good student,” says instructor Willie Jones, “great potential, easy to work with.”

Willie doesn’t work for Job Corps. He works for Albany Technical College. The college and Turner Job Corps have a partnership that gives students enhanced training in their field. Will explains what kind of experience he’s received at Albany Technical College.

“We do a lot of frame work, a lot of floor work, laying tiles, drywall. It’s been pretty cool. I’ve learned a lot over here.”

And it’s paying off. Willie sees Will’s determination to learn and succeed.

“One really good thing that I like about Will is that Will will not run from a challenge.”

Willie says Will has what it takes to succeed in carpentry, but Will wasn’t always so ready for the workforce.

“When I first met Will,” explains Willie, “very quiet, kind of to himself.”

“I’ve dealt with social anxiety my entire life,” says Will, “so coming to Job Corps was a big challenge for me. And for the most part, I’ve gotten used to talking to people one on one.”

Job Corps does more than just skills training, it’s life training so that these young people can be self-sufficient and successful. Willie says Will is job-ready now.

“I can place Will on a job, today!”

And thanks to Turner Job Corps, Will understands the importance of having good communications skills.

“Dealing with co-workers, you’re not always going to get along. You’ll have difficult people in your life, and you just have to learn how to cope with it.”

Willie says Will has left his mark on the college.

“I’m going to miss him when he leaves. I don’t know if you know, but this is Will’s last semester with me.”