PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Temple University hosted a graduation for the latest Uplift Workforce Solutions class of formerly incarcerated individuals Friday afternoon.
Uplift Workforce Solutions is a program that helps train individuals in various fields, like HVAC, CDL and retail. It’s a six – 12 week program held at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Mt. Airy and First African Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.
Executive director Atif Bostic says helping participants gain professional skills is only a small part of the program’s training.
“The majority of the work we do is really about behavioral change for individuals.”
Michael Dougherty graduated from the program with an HVAC certificate. He is happy he was asked to speak at the graduation and was designated as class “valedictorian.”
“...For somebody that didn't even graduate eighth grade, that means a lot to me.”
He said the program taught many things in addition to job skills.
“They did give us some coping skills and how to avoid conflict, things that …might cause you to lose a job,” Dougherty said. “You know what I mean, you go to a job and you have a problem with your boss, you can just snap on him.”
Related
Wayne Garrett, a program alumnus and current board member, understands some of the difficulties students may face.
“If we take somebody from society and put them in prison – which is a hostile environment – then you have to adapt to that environment just to survive,” Garrett said. “...You have to adapt. And in doing so, you're rewiring your brain to function, not as it would do in the natural society.”
For these reasons, Bostic says the program incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy.
“We assess them on trauma and we work with them one on one to actually be able to make better decisions and lead to better outcomes.”
Related
Dougherty is grateful for the opportunities the program offers, as it helped him better understand his emotions.
“I learned how to deal with pain, failure, you know, everything's not going to be great, but there's a greater good in life.”