As a child, KeMonte Reed dreamed of one day building his own home, but these days the 33-year-old is focused on building a career. He says a free Goodwill training program showed him how to achieve both goals.

KeMonte, a lifelong Nashville resident, is a married father with six children between the ages of 4 and 13. His wife works two jobs to help support their family — one in nursing and one at a warehouse. They live with a relative to make ends meet. 

Since graduating from high school in 2008, KeMonte has worked numerous jobs, mostly in the construction field. And although he accumulated basic experience in many areas of construction, such as framing, drywall, acoustical ceilings and even plumbing, he was never able to move to the next level. 

“I love working with my hands. I love building things and feeling like I accomplished something. But I want more for myself and my family,” he explains. “I want to do more with my life, and I’ve been searching, trying to open doors.”

“I love working with my hands. I love building things and feeling like I accomplished something. But I want more for myself and my family,” he explains. “I want to do more with my life, and I’ve been searching, trying to open doors.”

Recently, KeMonte tried a new approach. His cousin, Anthony Fanning, had been telling him for several years about a free Construction and Weatherization Training program offered by Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee and supported by a partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement. Anthony took the class in 2016 and soon after founded a successful home repair business. In October of 2023, KeMonte finally took his cousin’s advice, applied and was accepted into the program.

The four-week course, which is conducted at a warehouse with a workshop and classroom in West Nashville, covers safety, construction math, use of tools and more. The course is free, and participants receive a $100-per-week stipend. Upon graduating, they also receive OSHA 10 safety certification, a certification from the National Center for Construction, Education and Research and a forklift safety certificate.

KeMonte was particularly eager to earn the certifications, which he believes will help him advance his construction career. But other facets of the class — including financial literacy lessons, character-building advice and learning to read blueprints — surprised and impressed him.

“All the different speakers coming into class and sharing their stories really opened my eyes to people’s struggles and also to the opportunities out there,” he added. “And I wasn’t expecting for the people in the Construction class to bond the way we did.” 

In fact, KeMonte is currently working on a demolition job with a classmate who introduced him to his employer. The opportunity helped KeMonte a great deal financially, he said. 

There was another aspect of the class that has had a lasting impact. 

One day, the class wired up electrical sockets for a project. KeMonte had never worked with electricity before, and he asked many questions. What he learned fascinated him so much that he set a new goal: to join the electrician union and pursue further training toward a career working with electricity.

“KeMonte took advantage of every opportunity in Goodwill’s Construction & Weatherization Program, and I feel confident with his drive and the skills and knowledge he acquired he will achieve his goals,” said instructor Tim Kahn.

KeMonte was ultimately selected as the Most Outstanding Student from his graduating class of 12 people. 

“I feel like I was supposed to be in that class at that time,” KeMonte said. “I learned all the steps needed to build a house and to improve my future.”