Jason had been working in sales for a construction equipment dealer. He was exposed to a lot of different machinery but never had the opportunity to operate any of it, which is what really interested him. When his company closed and he was laid off, Jason decided that it was time to pursue his interest in machining. He was made aware of CNC in his previous role, and learned about the WIOA program through his local IDES office. Jason learned that he could retrain into a high-demand field, be working within four months and that this opportunity to reinvent himself would be funded by the local workforce system. He went for it and enrolled in Symbol's CNC Technology with Quality Control program. Jason's instructors say that he was a serious student and refreshingly had a great sense of humor. The day after Jason graduated, he already had a job lined up at a manufacturer of turbine components in Melrose Park. The company set him up to be trained for the specific machines they use, and he began operating CNC machinery right away. Jason created his future as a result of the CNC training, and he is now excited for the opportunities that this brings him in 2018.