Workforce System Success Stories - Workforce Development and Adult Learning

Mr. Harris’ success story began in an unlikely location - at the Western Correctional Facility (WCI) in Cumberland, Maryland. At only 23 years of age, this was Mr. Harris’s second incarceration. He was serving a six year sentence for being found with a handgun during a traffic stop. It was here at WCI in 2015 that a presentation delivered by a representative from the Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) on becoming a welder captured his attention and sparked his pursuit of what would one day become his new life.

The opportunity to prepare for a skilled career through JARC, a workforce development program located in Baltimore City that supports healthy communities and economies by providing training in the manufacturing trades to low-income adults, opened entirely new vistas for Mr. Harris. He could suddenly see a real path to a better life, a life that would allow him to be a real father to the two sons who were the center of his universe, a life that would allow him to be there for their birthdays, holidays and even the boring lazy days of summer. Seeing this new potential to build a future for himself and his family struck a stark comparison with how he had previously been living his life. He was tired of just surviving. He began to feel empowered to make different choices to create a different result.

Changing one’s life from behind bars in no easy task, but Mr. Harris was determined to succeed. His mantra became, “when life gives you lemons…make lemonade.” He enrolled in and graduated from a welding training program offered by the Maryland Department of Labor’s Correctional Education program. Upon release he completed training programs in several trades. He worked in welding, plumbing, and upholstering before finally deciding that his real passion was in welding, where it had all began.

Mr. Harris’s hard work enabled him to secure good positions with companies like Waste Management and Cockey Enterprises, where he performed welding repairs on compactors and trucks. Committed to growing in his career, Mr. Harris was always ready and willing to complete additional training to earn new industry recognized credentials. When his JARC contacts told him about a new training opportunity funded through the Maryland Works for Wind (MWW) grant, Mr. Harris was enthusiastic about enrolling. The MWW grant paid for the supplies Mr. Harris needed, covered the cost of specialized welding training and supported the services of financial and employment coaches. Grant staff connected him with partner organizations that provided expungement and behavioral health services, as well.

With new training and credentials under his belt, Mr. Harris posted an updated resume. Within a week he received interviews with the City of Baltimore and his current employer Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment. He accepted the employment offer with Dejana at $23.00 an hour, with plenty of opportunities to work overtime. Since assuming the new job, he has been working ten hours per day, five to six days per week. His top overtime double rate is $96.00 an hour! He is glad to have a great salary plus the benefits to support himself and his family, which will soon include a new addition, a baby girl.