SUCCESS STORIES

Nestor Garcia Lora is a Dominican-born naturalized American IT specialist whose career journey began with Hartford Public Library‘s CWP funded IT training program. His mother had heard about HPL’s program from the parent of a WIOA student from a previous program year and contacted us.

Throughout his enrollment Nestor has demonstrated strong technical ability and commitment to career development in his chosen field of IT.

After earning his CompTia A+ certification this year, he successfully interviewed and was hired as a full-time IT Technician at Goodwin University in East Hartford- referring and coaching a graduating classmate for the same position who was subsequently hired.

Nestor is learning and growing in his IT position and keeps us at HPL fully informed of his progress, which we appreciate tremendously.

Grateful for the support he received, Nestor returned to HPL’s IT training program to volunteer on his day off to guide and mentor students through their study and exam preparation. He is a natural and gifted teacher and a source of inspiration to HPL’s continuing IT students.

As a Youth Leader Nestor shared his story at CWP’s graduation ceremony held on February 19th this year.

He balances his tech career with a growing photography side hustle that allows him to explore his creative side.

There is no doubt that he will continue to develop his professional career as he is committed to learning and servicing in all areas of his life. Nestor has a bright future ahead of him and is truly committed to his community.

– Nestor Garcia
Youth Pathways, Hartford Public Library

Sage Johnson is a great example of the success of the Bloomfield Dual Track CNA Program. When she first joined, she was uncertain about her career path but had a strong interest in healthcare. Despite facing significant challenges, Sage remained determined, balancing her schoolwork during the day with CNA training in the evening.

Her perseverance paid off as she excelled in her training, passed her CNA exam, and was immediately hired at McLean Retirement Community. Through this experience, Sage gained the confidence to pursue a future in healthcare and is excited to begin nursing school in the fall.

A strong advocate for the Dual Track Program, Sage has spoken highly of its impact, including at the Bloomfield Roundtable Discussion, where she met with state senators to support the program’s continuation. Her resilience, dedication, and passion for patient care make her a true testament to the program’s success.

– Sage Johnson
Dual-Track CNA Training, Bloomfield Public Schools

Alan Jackson recently graduated in March with the Manufacturing Training Cohort at the Capital Campus of CT State Community College.

Prior to attending school, Alan had some struggles. He had applied for many jobs, including the fast-food restaurants and grocery stores, but to no avail.

“I couldn’t find a job, anywhere.”

Life happened, and with circumstances out his control, Alan and his dad found themselves in a situation where they needed to find somewhere else to live. Alan had an aunt in New York who said he could live with her for a bit. While Alan was in NY, he did find a job at Shake Shack. He was able to work there for a few months before he and his dad moved to the New Haven, CT area. One of the positive things about moving back to Connecticut, was that New Haven also had a Shake Shack, Alan would be able to transfer to this location and continue working.

Even though Alan was working, he was feeling very stressed out at this time, having some struggles with his dad. “I would go to work, then just come home and work on my car.” Frustrated saying, “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do to make a better life”. While attending a job fair at his school, he learned about the training opportunity in the Manufacturing Field. He also knew someone, Larry, who had gone through one of the programs being offered and told him he thought it was “good.” Alan then filled out the form, completed the necessary steps and was excited to be accepted into the CareerCT Manufacturing Program. This was no small feat, a big achievement as there is a 2nd assessment required by the school prior to acceptance into the program. It includes a 4–5-hour math and aptitude test where only the top candidates are selected. Although he wasn’t sure what to expect, Alan was feeling a bit more hopeful.

Alan maintained his job at Shake Shack and then would head off to class at Capital. This did make for a long day, but Alan shared that the managers at Shake Shak encouraged him to do this and were very flexible with his schedule to allow him to get to class on time.

Alan found the Manufacturing training to be a “really good” experience. He said it was like a “family” with everyone helping each other out. If he needed help with doing something, he always had either the teachers or classmates who would eagerly step in to assist. Alan’s favorite part of the training was running the machines and making things. “We got to keep what we had made”. Alan graduated on March 28, 2025, with all the certifications, and was able to see the difference 7 weeks had been made in his life including on his resume. “Thank you for all of your support and help with helping me get through this.”

Alan is excited to be starting a new job on April 21, 2025, with Pursuit Aerospace as an Assembler.

“I am in a better place mentally, now living on my own.”

He sees this as a “chance to grow, not need to rely on other people, and to be able to own things that belong to me!”

10 years ago, if you had asked Jeanette Cruz-Llorens if she saw herself in a career as a truck driver, she would have told you that was “crazy!”

Jeanette had been working at a State Mental Hospital in Medical records for over ten years, she was considered the “go to person” for anything that was needed. In 2018, Jeanette found out she was pregnant with twins. It was a high-risk pregnancy, but she was able to deliver a healthy baby boy and girl, even though they were 3 months early. Feeling very blessed given the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, she knew she needed to do all she could to protect and care for her new babies.

Jeanette had previously had major losses in her life, losing her father and baby son within a few months of each other. This had led to some depression and other struggles. As such, she was prepared to do what it took to enjoy her new bundles of joy. So, in 2019 she resigned from her position at the hospital so she could care for her children.

Jeanette had planned on returning to the work force when the Covid pandemic hit. The original plan was to put her young children in daycare/ preschool, but given the complexities of Covid, she felt it was safer for them to be at home with her.
Fast forward a few years and her children are now 7 years old, in school and Jeanette was ready to enter back into the workforce. However, she knew this time she “wanted something different”. A friend of hers suggested she might want to consider a career as a CDL driver, telling her “There weren’t many women in the field, it would be a change, and it might be something she would enjoy”. Jeanette liked the idea and went searching through Tik Tok to see what she could find for CDL training and funding opportunities. That is where she learned about the CareerConneCT grant programs and immediately applied. She was thrilled to be accepted and began her training in September of 2024.

Jeanette shared that training was “definitely different, especially since she was the only female” at the school. However, she was very thankful for” the support she felt from the other students” especially given the complexities of leaning something completely different.

Even before Jeanette completed training, she knew where she wanted to work.

You see when her son, Jeremiah, was in kindergarten, his teacher’s husband worked for CWPM, a waste management company. She had given each of the students a hat with the CWPM logo on it as a Christmas present. Jeremiah loves the hat and would point out the CWPM trucks everywhere they went, saying to to his mother, “You have to work for them, mom!” Jeanette immediately applied to CWPM and was called in for an interview.

Jeanette said in her interview with CWPM she was told they need someone, “strong and dependable and can handle herself”. She said she was like “ok” that’s me, let’s go!” She then went out for a ride with a trainer, and when they got back, the boss asked how it went, and the training replied, “great”.
The boss then told her that he had so much confidence she would do well from the interview, that he had already put together the paperwork and asked, “when can you start” to which she replied, “tomorrow!”

Jeanette started her new job as a Front Load Operator on February 4th, 2025.

She has been in paid training until now. She said that although she was a bit afraid and nervous about driving the big trucks, it has become “natural to her” and she “loves it”. She is enjoying the “interactions with adults and says she “looks forward to Monday mornings”. Although, the hours are quite long, working about 60 hours a week, with a stating time in the early hours of the day and many evenings not getting home until after dinner. This has been a big change for her family. Jeanette shared her husband has been very supportive of her new career.

As part of its long-standing commitment to innovation and workforce development in the United States, Infosys launched a Technology and Innovation Hub in Hartford, Connecticut. This strategic investment underscores the company’s dedication to hiring American workers and expanding local tech talent to meet the demands of an increasingly digital economy. Building on over 30 years of presence in the U.S., the initiative reflects a broader national commitment to continuous learning, ecosystem collaboration, and delivering cutting-edge solutions to clients.

Infosys remains focused on advancing skills in key technology areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, User Experience Design, Cloud, and Big Data. In 2024, Infosys partnered with Capital Workforce Partners and Hartford Public Library to pilot an innovative internship program in Hartford. Leveraging Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding, the library selected a cohort of individuals who successfully completed a rigorous year-long IT training program, earning the highly regarded COMPTIA A+ certification.

Following a selective interview process, candidates were accepted into an internship program where they gained hands-on experience in technology operations, client engagement, and troubleshooting. Upon completion, all trainees were evaluated and offered full-time employment, highlighting both the quality of the training program and the talent and dedication of the participants.

Infosys