Andrew Oliver

At The Children’s Center in Augusta, Andrew Oliver works with young children with a range of developmental delays and disabilities.  He says with a grin, “It feels like the right fit-like a square peg in a square hole. “

When Andrew first came to WWC in May, 2014, his vocational path seemed very different. Although a recent UMA graduate with a degree in Social Sciences, he was considering launching a landscaping business. He liked the work, knew it well, and had a small customer base. But a seasonal business has downsides so he continued to work one-on-one with WWC staff over the summer considering employment options; he polished his resume, fine-tuned his job search process, and prepared for interviews.

In the fall, seeking a stronger career direction, he enrolled in WWC’s Career Planning Class. The five-week class “helped me realize where I stood in the job market and what I’m worth-therefore what kinds of jobs I should apply for. It helped me weed out extraneous options and showed me a direction I could be taking with my college degree. Career Planning really boosted my confidence by (focusing on) identifying my strengths.” And he discovered that working as an educator of young children “had even more of a calling to me than running my own business. Working with children is the best–the help we give has great impact on their lives. It’s the first job I’ve had that is both challenging and satisfying.”

“I don’t think I would have even looked for my current job if it weren’t for WWC. WWC gave me confidence to go for the right job, not just any job but one that was related to my degree. I have a job where I know I have an impact on children and can help them create satisfying lives.“

This Spring Andrew added a Rainy Day Savings Account-a matched savings account that helps you take control of your finances- to the list of WWC programs he has utilized.