UNIONTOWN, Ala. — J.F. Ingram State Technical College (ISTC), in partnership with the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles (ABPP), officially opened a new Workforce Training Facility Wednesday at the Perry County Probation and Parole Reentry Education Program (PREP) Center, expanding opportunities for participants to gain hands-on technical skills and earn industry-recognized credentials as they prepare to enter Alabama’s workforce.
The new facility strengthens the partnership between ISTC and ABPP by connecting reentry services with education, technical training and employment preparation.
The ABPP Perry County PREP Center opened in April 2022 to help individuals successfully transition from incarceration back into their communities. The residential program combines treatment and reentry services with education, workforce training and employment preparation. According to the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, the PREP Center has maintained a recidivism rate of less than 1%.
“This facility represents what can happen when we stop looking at reentry as one moment and start looking at it as a process,” ISTC President David Walters said. “Our goal is for someone to leave the PREP Center with more than hope that they can find a job. We want them to leave with skills, credentials, experience and the confidence to walk onto a job site knowing they are prepared to work.”
Ingram State provides adult education and workforce training at the PREP Center. The new Workforce Training Facility expands those opportunities by providing dedicated space for hands-on instruction in areas such as entry-level welding, electrical, carpentry and heavy equipment operation. These are among the many training opportunities ISTC provides to equip participants with practical skills for high-demand, well-paying careers and prepare them to meet workforce needs across Alabama. Participants also have opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials, including OSHA 10, NCCER, Alabama Career Essentials and forklift certifications.
The facility was designed to move training beyond the traditional classroom and give participants practical experience in an environment that more closely reflects the workplace. Students can work with tools and equipment, complete hands-on projects and learn to perform safely in the heat, cold and other conditions common in construction and skilled trades.
That experience is an important part of preparing participants for employment. By combining technical instruction with hands-on practice and industry-recognized credentials, ISTC can help participants demonstrate to prospective employers not only what they have learned, but what they are prepared to do on the job.
“Public safety is our number one priority, and preparing people to succeed when they return to their communities is an important part of that work,” ABPP Director Cam Ward said. “A good-paying, skilled job can change the trajectory of someone’s life. This new facility strengthens our partnership with Ingram State and gives PREP participants even more opportunities to develop the skills and credentials they need to find meaningful employment and build a successful life after incarceration.”
The new facility builds on ISTC’s role at the PREP Center by creating a stronger connection between education and employment. The goal is for participants to complete training with practical skills, recognized credentials and experience they can carry directly into the workplace.
“We want to look five or 10 years down the road and see someone who has built a career, is supporting a family and is contributing to their community,” Walters said. “That is what success looks like, and it takes all of us working together to make that possible.”
About J.F. Ingram State Technical College
J.F. Ingram State Technical College provides career and technical education, adult education and workforce training to justice-involved individuals across Alabama. Through partnerships with state agencies, workforce organizations and employers, the college equips students with education, technical skills and industry-recognized credentials that support employment and successful reentry.
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