By Eric Kiefer, Patch Staff | Web Article Link
NEWARK, NJ — A New Jersey nonprofit is helping five dozen formerly incarcerated Garden State residents get fresh starts with new careers as auto mechanics.
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Reentry Corporation (NJRC) held a conference in Newark to announce a partnership with the New Community Career & Technical Institute, Essex Community College, NJ Car and Sansone Auto.
The collaboration – powered by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development – will help 60 of the NJRC's clients to get certified and employed as mechanics. With the help of its partners, the NJRC will host apprentice programs for the former prison inmates, ultimately helping them to land jobs that pay "no less than $12 per hour."
The NJRC will help its clients stay career-focused, providing them with case management services, resume/interview training and post-secondary educational programs, spokespeople said.
Following completion and placement, the NJRC will continue to work with graduates of the program for at least six months to ensure self-sufficiency over the long term, the nonprofit added.
