Nilton Grand Maison Da Fonseca, a resident of Redondo Beach wanted to maximize efforts in obtaining employment as soon as possible. Following his layoff, he had a hard time finding opportunities due to a lack of credentials/ certifications. Nilton was aware of a construction project management course offered by CSUDH and learned the program tuition was covered by workforce funding (WIOA), which was a great opportunity to add the credentials needed for his resume and get help with the job search.

The South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Center of Torrance assisted Nilton with his job search. He also benefitted from a resume revision, receiving constant job leads, and discussing interview strategies with the career counselor. Nilton found a job doing disaster recovery while in training, but by the time training was over he found himself out of work again. The COVID pandemic made the industry come to a halt and delayed many construction projects, which limited job openings further. He also survived an ongoing battle with cancer during this time period in which he never gave up and was able to secure permanent full-time employment with AJ Khair, a local company in construction following training completion.