When Richard Way was a teenager, he enrolled at Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center. Thanks to that decision, he made history.

“I was 16 years old, and needed a second chance in life,” Way said. “Job Corps helped me with that, and I’m very thankful.”

Job Corps not only gave him his second chance, it pushed him down the road that would lead him to becoming the first Black Chief Electrical Inspector in the city of Miami – and left him with some valuable life lessons.

“I learned a lot about the importance of hard work along the way,” he said.

GED and the knowledge needed to start out in hand, Way returned to his home in Miami, where he started working as an apprentice electrician by day and attended electrical code classes by night. By 23, he had earned his master electrical contractor license and established his own company.

He started working for the city of Miami in 2000, and became the city’s first Black Chief Electrical Inspector in 2006.

“I am very proud of this accomplishment, and on a daily basis I continue to help customers all over Miami with their electrical needs,” Way said.

For new Job Corps students, Way advises hard work and a focus on spirituality – and notes that a bright future is always within reach.

“Stay focused on your trade, and put God first in your life,” he said. “Never allow your past mistakes make you miss out on your future.”