When Keith Tody began looking for employment at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic he attended a fair at Truman College on Chicago’s north side. There, he met Elliott Esparza from National Able Network (Able), who told Keith about IT…

Steven Scholtes had always dreamed of working in the information technology (IT) industry, but for years he worked in the retail and restaurant industries to get by. That didn’t last. “I had a job dishwashing and cooking in a restaurant,…

As an educator in her native Pakistan, Saira Mirza had a wonderful career where she helped children gain digital literacy skills. “Children would love coming to my computer class!” recalls Saira. In 2002, Saira moved from Pakistan to Garfield, Minnesota…

Marse Visnevac was pursuing his bachelor’s degree in information technology when he heard about National Able Network’s IT Career Lab program. Marse was very eager to fulfill his career goals, and after attending an information session to learn more about…

On September 16, 2018, Roberto Reyes was told he was being watched by the Cuban government for expressing his opinions freely online. He knew what this meant, and he knew he had to leave. He had been taken prisoner for…

Marvin Harvey earned his bachelor’s degree in business in 2012, and worked in the accounting and finance field through 2017. However, that very same year, Marvin was laid off. This unexpected career hiccup didn’t faze Marvin one bit. He took…

Ryan Nelson was ready to make a career change, but was uncertain about what type of career path he would pursue. Ryan worked in in the financial trading sector for more than two decades, but the industry declined and he…

Daniel Ashinoff has always been computer-oriented. His family owned and operated a computer repair shop, which allowed him to gain technical skills and computer knowledge. However, as Daniel decided to branch out and seek other employment opportunities, he hit a…

Clarence Carter relocated to Chicago from Indiana early last year. He faced several challenges upon moving to a new city – the first was finding a job, and the second was finding a place to live. Upon his arrival, Clarence…