When Alvin Barr was 18, he was working a retail job and felt directionless. Alvin had always dreamed of being successful and passionate about his career. He also knew that college wasn’t going to be a reality for him and that he’d need to find another path to follow his dreams.
Alvin found his path forward when a friend at church recommended Job Corps. For Alvin, the opportunity to learn a skill for free was a no-brainer. Just weeks after learning about Job Corps, Alvin enrolled in Automotive Training at the Edison Job Corps Center in New Jersey.
Alvin excelled in his training at Edison and became a dorm leader on campus. He was so talented that, after completing his basic and Advanced Training, his instructor recommended him for the advanced Master Automobile Service Technology (MAST) training offered at the Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center in Kentucky.
Through his MAST training at the Clements center, he continued to learn the skills necessary to become an expert automotive technician. When representatives from Mercedes-Benz came to tour the center’s training facilities, a staff member introduced them to Alvin. Impressed by his professionalism and skill set, they suggested that he apply to the Mercedes-Benz DRIVE program, a highly selective and intense 16-week training program.
“Job Corps allowed me to become the master technician I am today. The program prepared me for the real world and taught me that, if you want something, you have to go get it.”
The fact that it was an extremely competitive program did not deter Alvin from applying. Trusting himself, his training and the Job Corps community, he was accepted. Soon after, Job Corps helped him move to Jacksonville to attend the program while living at the Jacksonville Job Corps Center.
After graduating from the DRIVE program in 2018, Mercedes-Benz offered him a full-time position. Thanks to Job Corps, Alvin now works as a fully licensed Mercedes-Benz automotive technician in Union, N.J., where he gets to do what he loves every day: updating and repairing luxury vehicles. Without Job Corps, Alvin’s story would look very different, and he is thankful for the opportunities Job Corps has brought him.
“Job Corps allowed me to become the master technician I am today,” Alvin said. “The program prepared me for the real world and taught me that, if you want something, you have to go get it.”
Job Corps put Alvin on the path to success, and he made his career dreams a reality.