April Fowlkes Shares with the Citizen her experience’s seeking employment in a male dominated Industry

Four years ago, I had no money and few prospects I signed up for a free 12-week job training program called Community Builders that provides the basic construction skills and certification. Best of all, the program has jobs lined up with contractors matched with an actual job upon completion.

That program changed everything for me. Four years later I’ve been steadily rising in the company I work for and now make almost $100,000 a year.

But now this program is under threat in Springfield. If Illinois Senate Bill 1407 is enacted the upcoming general assembly, it will be very hard for Illinois industrial companies to hire people just starting out like me. We cannot afford for our elected politicians to snatch this opportunity away. We must act now by contacting our state representatives right away and request that they vote “No” to this bill.