San Diego Job Corps, San Diego Housing Commission, and Sherwin-Williams Company Continuing Partnership

“I’m looking forward to a career as a painter,” advised San Diego Job Corps student Omar Luera.  Luera, from Fresno, CA is enrolled in Job Corps’ Painting Career Technical Training program and expects to graduate early next year. “It was a good experience working with the people being trained by the Housing Commission, and seeing how much we accomplished this week.”  For his efforts, Luera and four other Job Corps students received Certificates of Completion from the Achievement Academy of the San Diego Housing Commission in partnership with The Sherwin-Williams Company.

It was the fourth time Job Corps partnered with the San Diego Housing Commission and Sherwin-Williams’ Painter Training Instructor Bob Ballew at the San Diego Center to train low-income people for jobs in the painting industry.  In addition to the Job Corps students, 18 participants who receive rental assistance from the Housing Commission, were selected by the Commission to receive training in painting, which included earning an EPA Lead Paint Certificate.  They spent the week applying their skills painting an office, laundry room, and 22 dormitory rooms on the Job Corps Center. 

Ballew, who retired from Sherwin-Williams after 31 years of service, is the west coast trainer of the program, and supervised the painters.  He offered both advice and encouragement at the end of the week ceremony which recognized the painters’ accomplishments.  “Employers want five things from their employees,” he stated.  “They want you to be dependable, honest, enthusiastic, have a positive attitude, and be a team player.”  Ballew advised the painters they have the ability to be successful, if they apply the skills they learned during the week.

Job Corps Painting instructor Ralph Kitchell agreed with Ballew.  “We emphasize Career Success Standards and employability skills, along with painting skills at Job Corps,” he stated.  “It’s always a pleasure to work with Bob and the Housing Commission and everyone involved certainly benefits from our partnership.”