From OJT Trainee to Business Partner
Dan Eschete decided he would not depend on someone else or a company for his livelihood after being laid off from his job in the electronics and telecommunications industry. “I decided I would learn a trade and go work for myself," Eschete said. He had a passion for woodworking and began to explore career options in this field. He visited the Career Center and learned about the On-the-Job Training
program in 2003.
He met with the job developer and landed a job as a carpenter at a local cabinet shop. 
After eight years of working as a cabinet maker, he founded Eschete Woodworks. “The first few years were tough,” Eschete said. Now, his hard work is paying off. His business has grown exponentially and he needed additional employees.
Instead of just blindly placing ads in a newspaper, Eschete decided to partner again with SWAPTE and the Career Center. He knew he would get quality workers and he was excited to teach others his craft. “The skills they learn from this training will be something they carry with them the rest of their lives,” Eschete said.