‘I thought my life was just over’: Goodwill training program gives graduates pathway to career

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A class of students graduated from a Goodwill training program in Middle Tennessee which gives participants everything they need to immediately begin a career in solar installation.

The group learned the basics of installing solar panels over a four-week training at the Goodwill Solar Installation Training Center in Nashville. The training is free, and students receive a weekly stipend while participating.

Karl Wendt, the Career and Technical Academy Director at Goodwill Middle Tennessee, said after the training, Goodwill connects students with local employers. He said they have everything they need to start a job.

“It’s possible at Goodwill to come from a lot of different backgrounds and realize a new opportunity,” Wendt said. “They may be someone who’s been justice-involved. They could be someone who has had a gap in employment. They can be someone who’s got a four-year degree and is just looking for a career shift.”

One of those graduates, Nashville native Samantha Demonbreun, said the program gave her a new start in life.

“I thought my life was just over, I was never going to be anybody or be anything, and Goodwill changed all that,” Demonbreun said.

She struggled with substance abuse for 20 years, which led to jail time and losing her six children to the foster system.

“I had a little bit of a rough life. I left home when I was 16, so I was not educated, I hadn’t finished school, I didn’t have a high school diploma,” she said. “I was working in restaurants, doing side jobs and stuff. I never really gave myself the opportunity to develop a career.

“This time, something different clicked when I had to give up my last two children. I wanted better for them.”

She said she found hope in the four-week Goodwill program that she got connected with through the halfway house where she’s living.

“They gave me hope, they gave me skills, they gave me a career, and they gave me better insight on life and helped me to accomplish goals that I never thought I was gonna accomplish,” Demonbreun said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said it anticipates a more than 50% growth in solar installer jobs between 2020 and 2030.

“There’s a lot of places where solar cells make sense in Tennessee, and we’re hoping to help our graduates capitalize on that,” Wendt said. “Prices of electricity are going up, prices of solar cells are coming down. The opportunity is huge.”

Demonbreun said she is optimistic about her future. “I’m basically building a career in less than two months,” she said. “They have boosted my confidence and given me a chance to just do something better with my life.”

Now three years sober, Demonbreun said she has found stability in recovery and is building a new life for herself and her children.

“I’m excited about what my future looks like now. I can’t wait for them to see me,” she said.

The class of students graduated from the program Friday. Demonbreun said she hopes to secure a job with one of Goodwill’s partner solar programs, which are conducting on-site interviews.

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