Nonprofit vocational trade center gives students a second chance and career

CHARLOTTE, NC —ย  For the past six months Dwayne Stroud has been working in a car garage as a tire technician โ€“ itโ€™sย  the start of a career as a mechanic that he didn’t think was possible.ย 

“I come from nothing. I would say I broke a lot of generational curses as well,โ€ Stroud said.ย 

It all started with a decision to go to NCIAย  vocational trade school.ย 

“I wanted something better for myself and I know by going there it would have been a good start,โ€ Stroud said.ย 

NCIAโ€™s VTC offers an option for students who were previously incarcerated or economically disadvantaged to continue their education with an alternative to college.ย 

The VTC provides free, hands-on training and certifications in HVAC, automotive repair, and commercial driving.

“I think it’s a good alternative because it’s a quick way to get credentials and start a career path that’s going to get you living wage employment,โ€ NCIA VTC program director Christine Poltawsky said.ย 

For Stroud, ย  it gave him the hands-on skills that he’s using now.ย 

“The learning process of this and doing it professionally, it would have taken me a lot longer if I wouldn’t have gone through the program,โ€ Stroud said.ย 

With the cost of college rising and high rates ofย  student loan debt, NCIA leaders say the program could help students avoid debt and still have a successful career.ย 

“It’s nice to walk away with a skill and no debt,ย  versus a degree in debt and being kind of unsure where that path is going to land you,โ€ Poltawsky said.ย 

For Stroud, who says he couldn’t afford college, it gave him a chance to have a careerย 

“I get to say I’m a mechanic, so, you know, it’s a different meaning behind it, so I just, I thank the trade school for allowing me to say that because I probably wouldn’t be here without it,โ€ Stroud said.ย