The weather is getting colder but Shutaun Williams’ career is heating up as an employee of Concrete Strategies, a subsidiary of Clayco, Incorporated, one of the top construction engineering firms in the United States; currently he is working full-time on a project in Columbia, Missouri. Shutaun, a recent graduate of St. Louis Job Corps’ HBI/Building Construction Trades Program, stated that he was drawn to Job Corps because of the program options and because he knew he could get the training he needed without incurring debt. Throughout his time at Job Corps Shutaun was determined to be successful, demonstrated by his hard work; he was clear that his focus was on his family and on himself.

Mr. Roosevelt Robinson, Shutaun’s HBI Instructor and a Job Corps graduate himself, stated that it was clear from the beginning that Shutaun “got it;” Shutaun took instruction seriously and acted as a teaching assistant in the classroom, pushing other students to do their best and take advantage of this opportunity. Earlier in 2020 Mr. Robinson was introduced to Ms. Rachel Boomer, the Program Director for the St. Louis Construction Career Development Initiative (CCDI). Born from The Ferguson Commission’s work CCDI has spent several years successfully introducing young minority men and women to and assisting them with careers in design and construction. It took Mr. Robinson little time to connect Shutaun to CCDI and the rest, let’s just say, took care of itself.

We are extremely proud of Shutaun, but more important is the personal pride that Shutaun manifested throughout the program and into employment. Mr. Robinson stressed the importance of the relationship that has been established with CCDI and is thankful for the chance to show another industry partners the value of Job Corps.