When Lamontre Thomas came to Urban League of Palm Beach County, he was a 22-year-old high school dropout.

He was looking for help in getting his GED certification and finding employment. 

Prior to starting our PBSO Workforce Development Program, he lacked motivation and self-esteem.  He was very shy, quiet and he kept stating that he was a failure.

During our Employability Skills training, he learned about ethics and morality and he said he was happy to review these subjects. 

He told us: “I want to find a way to stay away from bad company and now I have reasons why I should stay away from bad company.” 

He added that he was a “street pharmacist” and was constantly arrested by the police. 

While in the Employability Skills training, he indicated that he was interested in becoming a security guard, but based on his criminal background, he was ineligible.

But some time later, he applied at People Ready Florida and was hired, even though he had a criminal background. 

Now, he reports to work every day, is always on time and is excited about making money to cover his expenses.