Jeff White, the Employment Training for Self-Sufficiency Program manager for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, said, "The idea behind the program was to partner with Department of Correction. We contacted Eastern Wyoming College and arranged to use their mobile welding lab. They took their mobile welding lab to the Newcastle Honor Farm and conducted a six-week welding certification course on the Honor Farm site."
The program graduated six inmates this week at a ceremony at the Newcastle Honor Farm. The inmates participating in the training program are short term felons who are incarcerated in Newcastle’s low risk facility. In addition, the inmates were required to meet the eligibility requirements in that they must be parenting fathers earning 185 percent below the Federal Poverty Level.
Joan Evans, Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, said, "The partnership between the Department of Corrections and Workforce Services continues to grow. With the successes that we’ve seen in Lusk and in Newcastle, the opportunities between the two agencies are endless."
"When these guys get released from the facility, they will have this certificate in their hands and be able to re-locate wherever they desire. They will work with our local Workforce Centers to try and find a welding job," White added.
The goal behind the program is to give inmates a chance to earn a livable wage and contribute to the betterment of their families, their children and ultimately themselves.
On the Web: www.wyomingworkforce.org
For more Daily news click here and look under 'Breaking News'
