Detroit's mayor took us inside the walls of the Ryan Correctional Facility to highlight a unique job-training program for inmates who are soon to be released.
Mayor Mike Duggan calls this an important program helping inmates transform their lives. Today, we got an up close look at what's being done.
Inside the Detroit Re-entry Center the new program offers inmates asbestos abatement, hi-low operation and culinary arts training. The skills they're learning will soon open the doors for many to begin new careers upon their release.
Mayor Duggan says the Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation has been operating what's basically a school at this corrections center, thanks to 2015 grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and Michigan Talent Investment Agency.
For those participating, it’s become a game changer and money well spent.
The courses span several weeks and often employers are already waiting.
More than anything, this job training represents opportunity for people gaining skills.
For our city, there's the benefit of boosting a local work force and lifting up those ready to be a part of Detroit’s future.
Roughly 25 people are graduating from this program each month. They'll be able to earn as much as $20 per hour.
