For Arthur, Short-Term Training Unlocked a Meaningful Career Path

Impact Investments, Workforce & Economic Mobility

Arthur, a young man living in Delaware, was delivering packages and looking for the right next step in his career. He had tried college, but it wasn’t the right fit. He had enlisted in the army, but his eyesight made him ineligible to serve. He liked the idea of a short-term training program, but he wasn’t ready to take the financial risk of leaving his job and paying for tuition.

That’s when Arthur learned about Merit America on Tik Tok. He enrolled in their 14-week IT Support program, during which he could work full time. With help from the Google Career Certificates Fund, he financed his training through a zero-percent loan.

In addition to high-quality technical training, Arthur received professional development services—including resume guidance and one-on-one job coaching—through Merit America. He credits these supports with fully preparing him for the job search.

For most jobs, you are just doing mundane tasks. You don’t see the impact of your work. But I can see how the things I work on make people’s lives better.Arthur, Merit America Graduate

After completing the program, Arthur applied to and was hired by pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck as a member of their IT Emerging Talent Rotational Program. He loves his new role, which offers him the chance to explore various aspects of IT. In the future, he hopes to continue learning software engineering so he can contribute more to the work of Merck’s health researchers.

“We work on the back end to make the software work for our scientists,” said Arthur. “For most jobs, you are just doing mundane tasks. You don’t see the impact of your work. But I can see how the things I work on make people’s lives better.”

For Arthur, Short-Term Training Unlocked a Meaningful Career Path

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