Fifteen inmates at the Madison County jail will have a new set of skills when they’re released. The men have just completed a program called Manufacturing Skills For Success.
Graduation from the intense 10-day program was hosted by Sheriff Julian Wiser and other jail officials Thursday. This is the first graduating class.
The program was created by the University of Tennessee’s Center for Industrial Services. The goal is to have inmates learn new skills while they are incarcerated, and be ready for re-entry into the workplace when they’ve served their time, according to curriculum supervisor Keith Groves.
“This is the fourth session we have done. We’ve done Hardin County, Obion County, and Dyer County, and now Madison,” Groves said. “We communicate with manufacturers across the state.”
The 10-day manufacturing boot camp is for entry-level workers to learn basic workplace skills, like using measurement tools, blueprint reading, problem-solving, critical thinking, and other skills. The class also earned TOSHA certificates.
It has not been determined when more manufacturing boot camps will be offered to inmates.
Sheriff Wiser said the program is funded by a grant at no cost to taxpayers, and he hopes that it can be a part of usual jail operations so that inmates will leave the jail with an advantage when their terms are complete.
