Building a Future, One Opportunity at a Time

Growing up, housing instability and other personal challenges made it hard for Owens to picture what the future would look like.

“I just needed a chance to get started,” Owens Jeune said. 

That chance came through a connection that would change everything. A friend pointed him toward Handy, a Florida-based nonprofit that supports local youth through skill-building and career development. It was the first door. Progress Residential opened the next one for him.

In March 2023, Owens joined Progress as an Apprentice through the company’s Workforce Development program, a path into the skilled trades that combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience, mentorship and real-world work. It builds technical knowledge, confidence, communication and most importantly, a career.  

“I didn’t know everything yet,” Owens said. “But I was ready to learn.” 

Day after day, he showed up, asking questions, taking direction and staying consistent – and his efforts didn’t go unnoticed.

“Owens is great. I wish I had ten of him,” his supervisor Paul Fernandez shared. “He’s engaged, he follows through, and he’s always looking to improve. As he keeps building his technical skills, he’s going to be exceptional.” 

Today, Owens works as a Service Technician I, continuing to grow in a role he earned through his persistence. But the job has always been about something far bigger. Owens continues to support his mother.

“That’s what keeps me going,” he said. “I want to build something stable for my family.” 

Stories like Owens’ are a reminder of what workforce development can do at its best. Across the country, demand for skilled tradespeople continues to grow, while the pipeline of trained workers struggles to keep pace. Programs like this one are designed to meet that need, opening doors for people building careers, while strengthening the workforce that communities depend on every day.

For our residents, that investment shows up in a very real way: in the homes they rely on, maintained by people who are trained and committed to their work.

“It’s more than just learning a trade,” Owens said. “It’s having a stable future.”