Why Did We Start VLOA?
Picture it...Charlotte, NC Spring.
Albert began the framework for VOLA after a weekend with his 6 & 7 year old nieces. Seeing how smart and ambitious his nieces are, he imagined them as young adults without having the support he received while maturing and gaining experience to enter the work force. With this idea in mind he began to build Vocational Leaders of America to energize community leaders, business, and organizations to start focusing on strengthening the future vocational workforce of America. Albert envisioned an organization that would service underprivileged exceptional young leaders as they enter the private sector in their community.
As a first generation college student at Appalachian State University, Albert obtained a B.S. in Political Science to pursue his dream of making a positive impact on the lives of Americans. With this education, his own financial support from his military service, and the support from his family Albert was able to pursue his dream. His desire to make a difference is what has driven him to start an organization dedicated to helping adolescence and young adults obtain the pillars of success and make their own mark on the world.
While this vision is how the organization began, during the planning stages a critical set of programs made themselves known. We determined that, while it is important to guide vulnerable young adults toward a vocational career where they can help transform their circumstances, it is equally if not more important to begin that drive for self-sufficiency earlier in life. We therefore expanded our scope to younger children who need additional resources to help find their passion in life and to help them explore alternative options to higher education that would help lift them out of their current state. This is where our Hands, Hearts, & Dreams Program began to take shape.
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Hands, Hearts, and Dreams is a program VLOA formed to help reach vulnerable at risk and underprivileged adolescents at the earlier stages of development to energize them for a career path of their choosing through summer and after school programs, workshops, and camps. Giving children the sense of accomplishment and drive from this early program will invigorate them to continue taking part in our Junior Vocational Leaders Program, Vocational Fellowships, and our Senior Vocational Apprenticeship and Leaders Programs. Finally we will have our partnering businesses offer these exceptionally skilled individuals employment so they can continue to support themselves while breaking the cycle of poverty, decreasing youth unemployment, and allowing them to become a positive force in their communities as builders of the American Dream.
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Mission
We believe every young person deserves the right to achieve the
American Dream.
Through youth vocational education and training our goal is to offer young adults greater access to vocational/trade school education, certification, and licensing as well as mentorships and resources to relieve unnecessary burdens that hinder them from being able to fulfill their
Dreams.
Vision
With your help, we see a future where the underprivileged youth of America have the tools, skills, and education to pursue their dream. With this we predict our direct impact on communities will be felt via a decrease in the number of young people leaving secondary school with no career potential or opportunities. Over time we expect to see closer to a 50/50 ratio of men and women leaders in the manufacturing, construction, and other vocational fields.
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