Dustin W. – Junior Security & Quality Assurance – Ontario – May 2022
“Being queer, neurodiverse, isolated, unemployed, homeless, and with no family during the pandemic was a scary experience for me. I was searching for somewhere I could go to learn in a safe and supportive environment, and after being recommended to NPower Canada by three different sources, I knew I had to give them a shot, and I’m so happy I did.”
The pandemic took a personal and professional toll on Dustin. They were struggling with serious barriers to their well-being, including homelessness and mental health issues. Then, their career in audio-visuals and theater production was halted due to the pandemic. Dustin was working with various community partners, three of which told them to look into NPower Canada.
Dustin enrolled in our Junior Security and Quality Assurance (JSQA) program in January 2022. They immediately knew that they’d found what they needed to succeed: “a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space where I could learn new technical skills, work on my professionalism, and develop my personal skills in teamwork, communication and empathy.”
“I think the greatest thing that the NPower Canada JSQA program has given me is a new perspective on what a healthy work and learning environment should look like. I feel as though my supportive and genuine peers and instructors were the greatest source of strength and inspiration in this program, which helped me overcome one of the hardest challenges of my life,” Dustin shared.
Their dream job is to find an environment just like they had at NPower Canada, where they can help and support people. “I will bring all the lessons I learned from this program into every environment I find myself in the future!” Dustin was proud to say.
Having found such a positive experience, Dustin encourages participants to utilize their peers and instructors.
“Sharing information with each other, openly receiving mentorship from peers and instructors, and radically celebrating other’s successes will lead to an excellent learning environment. Being in such a positive environment made my learning capacity greater, it improved my mood and my health, it gave me purpose, and I left the program with around 60 strong professional and personal connections.”
Dustin was placed directly into employment after graduating from the program in May 2022. We are excited to continue to support them over the next 5+ years and see how their career evolves.
