Trade Act and Northwest Michigan Works! Help Man go to College and Start a New Career

As a paraprofessional in the Metal Fabrication and Welding program at the Wexford/Missaukee Career Tech Center in Cadillac, Troy Goloversic teaches students skills that will help them land jobs in the future. Goloversic knows first-hand the importance of having marketable job skills. He spent years working in factories, but kept getting laid off.

“I really was getting tired of getting time in, just getting to top pay and then the job’s done,” said Goloversic.

After being laid off from his last factory job, Goloversic found out through Northwest Michigan Works! that he was eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance that would pay for his college education. The staff at Michigan Works! helped him enroll in the Welding program at Baker College of Cadillac.

“My Associate’s was a 33-thousand dollar program,” said Goloversic. “When you’re unemployed that’s a lot to take on. I personally would not have been prepared to put myself that financially in debt.”

Goloversic says the Trade Act also allowed him to continue to collect unemployment while he was in school so he could focus on his education.

“To continue with your unemployment benefits while you’re doing that alleviates so much burden off you,” said Goloversic. “Without the TRA and the extra benefits with it, I would not have gone back to school.”

Goloversic says graduating from college was one of the proudest moments of his life and having a degree is opening doors for him. Besides working at the Career Tech Center he is also an adjunct instructor in the welding program at Baker College. Goloversic says without the help he got from Michigan Works! and the Trade Act, he would probably be unemployed or working at another factory job with an uncertain future.

“The program was an absolute blessing,” said Goloversic. “Without the program I know I would not be here.”

 

 

 

 

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Related Info:  NW Michigan Works! Job Seeker Services  |  Adult Education Learning Labs