The Voyager: Tech alum explores unique career off the beaten path
Adrien Freeman has always been good at puzzles. As a child, he practiced assembling and disassembling household items with his tech-savvy uncle, and in grade school, he attended coding classes to better understand computers.
“I always liked to build stuff and take things apart,” he said. “I like things that challenge me a little bit. I don’t like doing things that are too easy.”
So when he learned about LEAD Charter School, he was excited to pursue the Comptia A+ certification track, where he learned intro-level information technology skills while pursuing his high school diploma. As a YouthBuild school, LEAD’s unique model of combining education and workforce development prepares young people for whatever post-secondary goals they may have. And while Adrien may have started his time at LEAD as an unmotivated student, falling behind in his studies, he didn’t stay that way for long.
“I don’t really like to ask for help when I’m struggling with something, so I’d just sit there and not know what I was doing. If I feel like I’m not getting the attention that I need, then I’m not going to put in any effort,” he said. “But when I came to LEAD, I actually stepped up and started doing my work. The teachers made sure everybody was on the same page and that everybody knew what to do. They made it easier.”
After graduation last June, Adrien went straight into the workforce -- working at Petco -- while he looked for jobs in his field. It was then that he heard about a unique job opportunity that tapped into his love of puzzles and problem-solving: he could become a Black Seal Boiler Operator.
Most vital in school districts, boiler operators or advanced custodians are certified to manage complex heating systems in residential and commercial buildings. Boilers are responsible for providing heat and hot water to large buildings, and with so many boiler variation systems -- steam boilers, electric boilers, hot water boilers, among others -- a Black Seal license will grant Adrien a stable career that will always be in demand. So, in late October, he started the 6-month certification process.
The certification involves 13 online courses and 150 hours of training via apprenticeship. He’s about halfway through the course, and already, he’s seeing similarities between boiler systems and his beloved computers.
“The actual boiler would be the motherboard of the computer, and the pipes would be the wires. And the valves -- those are the circuits and the switches,” he said. “You have to know what’s connected to what -- you have to learn your building.”
Adrien is almost finished with his online coursework and looking forward to his apprenticeship. Starting salaries for boiler operators or advance custodians start at $20 an hour with lots of potential for growth, depending on the size of the building, the boiler system or the years on the job. Once he’s fully certified, he hopes to start applying his skills at a local school in his community. But until that day, he plans to continue working full-time until he can trade in his job for a career.
“The great thing about the YouthBuild model is that it equips young people with a skillset that can be transferred into a variety of career paths,” said Robert Clark, CEO of Newark Opportunity Youth Network. “Adrien is a prime example of someone utilizing the tools they’ve been given to build their future.”
Every step of his journey, Adrien said he’s had the support of his family and the LEAD community as he defines success, even if it’s off the beaten path.
“It’s good to know that my family is in my corner and that I have people to always be there to support me, no matter what it is,” he said.