Inmates housed at the Centre County Correctional Facility have an opportunity to better prepare themselves for the workforce when they are released through the WorkKeys program.
Jeffrey Hite, director of treatment at the facility, visited the Centre County commissioners’ weekly meeting July 5 to briefly explain the program, as well as to request funding to continue the program through the end of June 2017.
‘It’s a very rewarding program for the inmates,’ said Hite. ‘Some just aren’t prepared to re-enter the workforce upon their release, but through this program, they have more skills and better qualifications employers are looking for.’
The WorkKeys program tests an individual’s work skills and provides easy-to-comprehend results for employers looking to hire.
‘We work hand in hand with CareerLink to provide the program,’ said Hite. ‘Even if an inmate is released prior to the conclusion of the program, they can go to CareerLink and finish out the program. At the end, they are awarded a career readiness certificate.
“I think this is important to the participating inmates, as they have reached a goal when they get their certificates. I had one inmate say to me, ‘This is the first certificate I ever received.”
According to Hite, the program was initiated in January, and offers four levels of completion — platinum, gold, silver and bronze. He said platinum certificate recipients completed the program with the highest efficiency. To date, 25 inmates have enrolled in the program and eight have tested out. Two individuals were rewarded gold-level certificates, while six received silver-level certificates.
‘This program is not just for inmates,’ said Commissioner Steve Dershem. ‘Through CareerLink, anyone can participate.’
The contract between Central Intermediate Unit 10 and the county was placed on the consent agenda and will be voted on the next commissioners’ meeting. The contract total is $9,816.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved a contract addendum between the county and Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office, formerly Full Circle, for a statewide imaging contract previously approved on Dec. 2, 2015, under the former vendor name. The contract total is $5,138.83.
• Announced a “Blueprint for Success” ceremony is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 29, at the Mount Nittany United Methodist Church Social Room, 1500 E. Branch Road, Lemont.
