In East Hartford, a new effort to help workers left behind

In East Hartford, a new effort to help workers left behind

(Reuters, 12/6/19)

EAST HARTFORD, Conn (Reuters) – For the first time in a while, Diomedes Dilone is earning enough money that he can afford to take the weekends off.

Until February, Dilone was waking up at 3 a.m. to drive for Uber, but the money wasn’t enough to cover his bills. The Navy veteran and married father of two would split his shift between the morning and afternoon so that he could shuttle other workers to and from their office jobs. He supplemented his earnings with savings, food stamps and Medicaid.

Then his wife brought home a flyer about a new training program. After two months learning about jet engines and manufacturing, he landed a $35-an-hour job as a quality inspector for aerospace heavyweight Pratt & Whitney.

Read more >