Sylvester graduates from Avivo’s Telecommunications Training and finds career he loves

Sylvester is one of the first graduates from Avivo’s new Telecommunications Installation and Support Training Program. Immediately after graduating, he was proud to find full-time employment that better supports his family.

In the early 2000s, Sylvester’s wife immigrated to the United States while he was in the Nigerian navy. He was excited to be reunited with her and their two children in 2016 but knew he’d also need to find employment.

Sylvester earned an Associate’s degree but found the job opportunities with his specific degree wouldn’t allow him to support his family in the way that he wanted.

“The prospect of growth was nonexistent,” shares Sylvester. “We needed to pay for childcare, but each paycheck was going directly from me to the childcare. I needed to earn more.”

“The prospect of growth was nonexistent,” shares Sylvester. “We needed to pay for childcare, but each paycheck was going directly from me to the childcare. I needed to earn more.”

Sylvester found Avivo while visiting the Brooklyn Center library where he saw a flyer for Avivo’s Telecommunications Installation and Support training program. He saw another one at his daughter’s school.

“Seeing it multiple times made me think I probably need to look at that training,” shares Sylvester. So, he visited Avivo’s website and discovered the career paths graduates from the program can follow.

“When I researched the job opportunities, I learned that starting pleighay was nearly $25 per hour. I thought ‘Wow!’”

“When I researched the job opportunities, I learned that starting pay was nearly $25 per hour. I thought ‘Wow!’”

He was intrigued not just by the job opportunities but by the stipend he received during training to help make it possible. When Sylvester attended the class, he was impressed by the instructor David Boddy.

“He had absolute command and control of the subject matter of the class. Upon graduation, I felt 100 percent prepared to work in the industry.”

He shares that not only did he learn the Telecommunications course material, but he also worked with an Avivo career counselor and mobility mentor Jaqueline Travis to create and modernize his resume and find job prospects.

“I called Jackie ‘the next line of defense’,” shares Sylvester. “She helped set up mock interviews for us and worked to make sure we knew about job prospects.”

Sylvester went on to apply for six job opportunities and received offers from all six of them. He credits Avivo for helping make that happen.

Sylvester is now working in a job and at a company he loves, and looks forward to a future with bright prospects. “I hope to remain with this company in the future, because I’m told the room for growth in this job is limitless… My family and I appreciate the help from Avivo. All of the efforts Avivo and their staff have done to get me this far.”