San Diego Job Corps graduates Christian Soto, Shelby Bruce, Louis Zimmerman, and Luis Acosta recently spoke about their careers at Bill Howe Plumbing’s new headquarters in Kearny Mesa. Three completed Job Corps’ Plumbing Career Technical Training program, and one completed the Electrical program.  They work in the plumbing, electrical, and restoration and flood services departments at the company’s new headquarters in the Kearny Mesa community in San Diego, CA.

Soto, Bruce, Zimmerman, and Acosta described their workplace as “welcoming” and “a family atmosphere.”  “Every day is different with new challenges,” stated one of the young men. They agreed that their instructors at Job Corp prepared them well for their jobs, and that “everyone at the company is willing to help us become better at our jobs.”  The company has encouraged them to enroll at San Diego’s Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors Journeyman Plumbing School, and pays for their tuition.

 “We’ve been working with Job Corps for over 10 years,” advised Bill Howe Plumbing’s General Manager Bill Haws, who also serves on Job Corps’ Plumbing and Electrical Advisory Council.  “We have student interns here each week, and sometimes we’ll offer them a job when they graduate from Job Corps,” he stated.  Haws praised current Job Corps instructors Randall Mann and John Gallagher and the late Paul Chilson who passed away last year.  “Paul was passionate about Job Corps and his students,” Haws continued.  “Like Randall and John, Paul really cared about the young people he was training for our profession.”

Bill Howe, the company’s Chief Executive Officer and his wife Tina Howe, the company Chief Financial Officer, have received numerous awards for business excellence in their business, and for their contributions to the community. “We’ve been a family- owned and operated business since we started in 1980,” she advised, “and believe in giving a helping hand to young people.  We give them an opportunity to flourish and succeed as employees in our company’s environment.”

“We have a good relationship with Job Corps,” Tina continued, “and are pleased to give their students an opportunity to intern and work here.  We’ve hired ten of their graduates, and they’ve been excellent employees.  It certainly is a win-win situation for all of us.”