Julie Parker was in a difficult position in September 2019. She was just laid off from her job in Omaha’s healthcare industry and her confidence was at an all-time low. She felt discouraged about her job search because she is an older worker with a lot of experience, but she had never been laid off before.

“I was at a very serious crossroads in my life at the time,” she said. “There were so many factors preventing me from finding a job.”

But when she connected with National Able Network at Heartland Workforce Solutions, her confidence about starting a new career drastically improved. “After coming into the Heartland Workforce office and signing some documents with my career coach Nadja, I got started right away,” Julie said.

Nadja referred her to a coding class and helped her get a personal laptop to use. “Julie decided to attend The AIM Code school for further training in Foundations-Web Development,” Nadja said. “She attended these classes while continuing to seek full-time employment.”

While enrolled in class, Julie worked part time as a mental health therapist and worked hard to complete her course. Her hard work paid off and she passed her exams with flying colors!

Although Julie has completed her training course, she is not done working: “I am in the process of getting my certification now that I passed all my classes,” she said. Throughout her learning process, Nadja and the team at [National] Able [Network] provided encouragement, career support, and job placement services.

Asked what she would tell others in her position, Julie said, “Be willing to be a lifelong learner, open your heart and mind to open to new experiences and meet new people. There’s so much more out there.”