From the Sterling Office
In February of 2020, Jeff came to the BEST, Inc. office in Sterling after he had lost his job as a machinist. He was interested in enrolling in the Multicraft Technology program at Sauk Valley CC in order to become more employable.
Jeff was determined eligible for WIOA services as a dislocated worker and was able to get help from BEST, Inc. with tuition assistance and mileage reimbursement for the program.
Jeff’s academic plan was put on hold for a few months due to the Covid Pandemic and he wasn’t able to start training until the summer of 2020. Additionally, he needed to work part-time in order to support himself and his wife while he was going to school.
Because he was working, he couldn’t take a full course load each semester and that impacted his anticipated date of completion. Nevertheless, Jeff continued to push on and was successful in his courses.
Eventually, Jeff was able to complete all of the required coursework and graduated in May of 2025 with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Multicraft Technology.
He has been working at Tricon Industries in Walnut for nearly a year and is confident that he will be able to move into a management position due to his recently completed degree.
