Only attending school through the ninth grade, Salvador had few marketable skills and little work experience, except for helping his family with fruit picking and vegetable harvest.

New students to Curlew Job Corps are able to try out eight different vocational training offerings including four pre-apprenticeship trades of carpentry, bricklaying, painting and construction laborer. During Salvador’s orientation to Curlew Job Corps, he showed a natural ability for bricklaying, and chose the International Masonry Institute’s bricklaying pre-apprenticeship for his vocational training.

Salvador participated in the Center’s  Washington Business Week, (a simulated economics college course condensed into a one-week experience) and also increased his business and leadership skills at a summer advanced Business Week at Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, Washington, the following year.

Because of Salvador’s exemplary behavior, skill level, and vocational evaluations, he was chosen to participate in a local work-based learning opportunity, helping to restore a 100 year old historical cabin. Salvador’s work-based learning supervisor and owner of the cabin, Jim Hale, of North Washington Implement, Lynden, WA had high praise for Salvador’s workmanship and ability while working on a 27 foot block/rock fireplace and chimney. Salvador also got the opportunity to work with veteran journeyman bricklayer, John Urban, Urban Masonry. Mr. Urban was willing to hire Salvador for on the job training, because he had hired a previous Curlew Job Corps graduate, Adam H., from Lynden, Washington, in 2007. Salvador and Adam worked side-by-side on Mr. Hale’s project. Through this opportunity, Salvador was assured that Mr. Urban would sponsor Salvador’s application to any bricklaying local he chose to apply to.

Salvador has also served the Local #3 Bricklayers’ and Allied Trades Union, by volunteering as a bricklaying trainer/recruiter through the Spokane, Washington Construction Fair for two consecutive years, where high school men and women get a hands-on introduction to several trades, and two seasons volunteering at the Pizza, Pop, and Power Tools construction fair aimed at sharing information about jobs in the trades to Spokane area eighth grade girls. Both events were two days in length and served over 800 young adults.

To say that Salvador’s life has changed for the better is an understatement. He now has the skills and the confidence to make a better life for himself and his family as an apprentice and journeyman brick mason.