WINN grant to help rehabbed Nevada offenders reenter workforce

RENO, Nev. — The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced this week it approved a grant that will “provide much-needed training in both career and life skills for people who are being rehabilitated through the justice system, supporting their reentry into the workforce.”

The Pilot Re-Entry Program at Truckee Meadows Community College is funded by a Workforce Innovations for a New Nevada (WINN) grant.

According to a GOED news release, the program includes the nationally-known “Getting Ahead” curricula, OSHA Safety certification, Forklift Safety Training, an ACT WorkKeys career readiness credential, and the choice to study toward one of three college skills certificates:

• Panasonic Preferred Pathway (P3) Program in manufacturing

• Certified logistics associate

• Food safety and handling

The free program begins July 11 and takes about six months to complete.

“We visited several employers to find out the best skills currently needed, and they said forklift, OSHA, basic math and English — but most of all are soft skills,” Re-Entry Coordinator Camille Vega said in a statement.

According to GOED, soft skills include accountability, punctuality and communication, and students will also brush up on their computer and math skills.

“By consistently training individuals to be employable, and therefore successful when released from the correctional system, we’re building a safer community with less victimization, and greater opportunity,” stated James Dzurenda, director of the Nevada Department of Corrections.

For more information about the Pilot Re-Entry Program, contact Vega in the TMCC Counseling Center at 775-674-7987.