Eleven men incarcerated at Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center in Oneida, Wisconsin graduated from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) with a certificate in industrial maintenance. The graduation ceremony, held on August 14th, marked the end of a 14-week, 14-credit course offered to the men at the minimum-security facility.
This is the second cohort of men graduating from this program. The first class graduated in June of 2018 and all eleven of those graduates found jobs after they returned to their communities.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) partners with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) and local technical colleges in many programs to help incarcerated people gain the skills and education to get sustainable jobs when they leave prison.
“The best tool we have for preventing recidivism is a living wage job,” said DWD Secretary-designee Caleb Frostman. “We know that when individuals leave a correctional facility with employable skills or a job already lined up they are far less likely to return. This administration is committed to investing in re-entry as evidenced by the down payment on the People’s Budget which provides funding for inmate training and job centers in correctional facilities.”
“NWTC has a long history of helping people start a new path that will transform their lives, support their families, and meet employer needs. Area business leaders have told me that Wisconsin’s critical manufacturing industry needs more trained technicians in Industrial Maintenance than they can find,” said NWTC President, Dr. Jeffrey Rafn. “Preparing students for promising careers that achieve their dreams and meet area business needs is one of the ways NWTC stands out, and one of the ways we keep Wisconsin’s economy growing. I’m very happy to see this day arrive – for everyone involved.”
“More than 90% of the men and women in our care will return to their communities, and we hope they return with the skills to be successful,” said DOC Secretary-designee, Kevin A. Carr, “the partnerships between DOC, DWD, and advocates like NWTC create a ‘win-win’ situation for all involved.”
Graduates today said they are grateful for the opportunity to learn new skills that will equate to success for their futures.
“Being able to take advantage of what they [NWTC] have to offer has been a great help in myself esteem and thinking, ‘Hey I can do this when I get out. Life isn’t over. It’s not the end of the world, it’s a hiccup in life and we can move on from this,” said recent graduate, William Haigh.
Of the eleven men who graduated Wednesday, two already have job opportunities in the queue for when they go home.
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