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Speaker 1: OTAN. Outreach and Technical Assistance Network.

[upbeat music]

Stephen Hughes: My name is Stephen Hughes. I was born in Orange County, Anaheim. I had a lot of fun as a kid, and then things kind of took a little twist when I became a teenager. I dropped out of school, and I got into-- started hanging around with the wrong crowd. I've done four prison terms and-- I don't know-- 10 violations. Probably did about 15 years of my life in prison due to the choices that I made.

They sent me to a place called the invest program, which is called the AJCC, over in Norwalk. And they asked me, well, what do you want to do as far as a career path? We can help you. We can plug you in with different-- we have different avenues about doing this. I was like, well, what about welding? I'm kind of interested in that. And they were like, yeah, we could definitely set you up in a welding program.

So they sent me over to a place called Department of Rehabilitation, and they said, yeah, we'll pay for everything. And this time, I slowed down. And I took advantage of those opportunities. And I took advantage of those resources. And it is doable. It is doable. It takes a little bit of time. I'm still working at it. I was 44 when I started the class and just being older and starting something new--

Frank Stainbrook: My name is Frank Stainbrook. I've been the teacher here at Norwalk-La Mirada School District in the welding department for the last three years. What I noticed about Stephen when he started out is his drive. He, again, was always the first one there, always asking questions in the lecture, always wanting to know more, always wanting to excel and get better, his attention to detail. He has a naturally steady hand.

Stephen Hughes: I put that all aside and was like, this is a fresh start. This is a second chance. I'm going to take every advantage I can-- take advantage of every opportunity I can. And I'm going to push through it and push forward. And I'm going to get into this industry.

Frank Stainbrook: From that point on, he never missed a day of class. He was always the first one at the shop waiting for me when I got there and one of the last students to leave, helping clean up and do anything that I needed done around the shop.

Stephen Hughes: I like the setting. I like cutting the metal. I like grinding it down, fitting it up, welding it together. I enjoy the whole process of it, and I want to learn more. I want to get better, and I want to be one of those overall, just, good welders.

Frank Stainbrook: Well, his natural ability is his attention to detail. He can see what the actual molten puddle of metal is doing. He can tell when it's getting too large, when it's undercutting into the base metal, when he needs to stop and take his time a little more, when he needs to speed up.

Stephen Hughes: I got certified in flux-cored arc welding. And it's AWS certification, D11 structural certification. It's the real deal, which was a pretty big thing for me, because I haven't got any awards or certifications since I was a kid. I'm hoping these certifications will get my foot in the door as maybe a welder helper or an entry-level-type job. There's still a lot I need to learn.

Frank Stainbrook: I think as soon as he gets his chance, he's just going to take off like a rocket ship. Wherever he ends up, he's going to end up doing well.

Stephen Hughes: I think it's more of a drive now that I came so far. And I don't want to let down myself and go back to that lifestyle, but I definitely don't want to let down my loved ones that have stuck by me and seen me come so far either. I love you, Mom. I love you, my brother David. And I love my kids, Steven and Michael. They all stuck by me. It's doable. It's achievable if you put in the work.

[upbeat music]