Vocational/Life Skills Programs
Vocational/Life Skills Programs
Being prepared to work upon release is an important component to successful reentry and how we keep people safe. NDCS offers a variety of vocational and life skills training programs.
In 2014, the Nebraska Legislature passed LB 907, which allocated funds for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to partner with community agencies to provide vocational & life skills training to people while incarcerated, on parole or under probation supervision and for up to 18 months after discharge. The providers apply for a grant and are selected based on specified criteria. The current two-year grant cycle, which began in July of 2016, includes the vocational & life skills partners*** listed below.
These grant-funded programs, along with other vocational programs listed below, provide a variety of services intended to increase employability and reduce recidivism. They target the five stabilizing factors including: housing, employment/education, mental health, substance use, and supportive relationships.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| ABC Applied Construction Math |
This program provides learning in the area of construction math such as division, decimals/percentages, reading measurements, calculating area, linear measures, angles, volume, solving for the unknown. Need Addressed: Employment |
| ABC Construction Technology |
Introduces masonry, carpentry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing. Need Addressed: Employment |
| ABC Construction Virtual Electric |
Introduces concepts of basic electrical wiring, presented by classroom instruction, along with hands-on experience by working with virtual electrical panels. Need addressed: Employment |
| ABC Construction Virtual Welding |
Provides training in welding safety, basic welding information and welding defects. Will give participants the tools to make welding corrections. Need addressed: Employment |
| ABC Construction: OSHA Construction |
This program provides an overview of safety applications on a construction site as well as training on governmental regulations. Need Addressed: Employment |
| ABC Core Curriculum |
This program introduces basic construction safety; construction math, hand tools, power tools, construction drawing, rigging; communication skills;employability skills, and material handling. Need addressed: Employment |
| ABC OSHA General Industries |
This course provides entry-level information about employee rights; employer responsibilities; how to file a complaint; how to identify and prevent job related hazards. Need Addressed: Employment |
| Alpha |
Alpha promotes daily living skills and encourages character development. All classes are biblically based and open to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation. The program includes lessons on addiction prevention, understanding marriage, understanding parenthood and managing finances. Needs Addressed: Attitudes; behavior; life skills, family |
| Associated Linen Management Certification |
Teaches skills in the area of laundry management. Need Addressed: Employment |
| Brothers in Blue |
Faith based life skills program provided in the form of a four day retreat and once a month check-ins. |
| Cabinet Maker Apprentice |
Apprenticeship for learning carpentry skills. Need addressed: Employment |
| Carpentry |
Classroom and Project based learning in he area of carpentry. Subject include care and use of tools, safety, work habits, fundamental math, communication skills. Application acceptance and GED required. Needs addressed: employment. |
| Chemical Operator Apprenticeship |
Instruction and training to operate or tend chemical equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of institutional janitorial chemical products. Need addressed: Employment |
| Compassion in Action Pre-Release Education and Reentry Preparation |
The class helps participants realize that although they made mistakes and poor choices, that they are worthwhile and matter. That by investing in themselves through service, they can find fulfillment. |
| Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Routing Operator Apprenticeship |
Instruction and training to set up, operate, and tend a computer controlled wood routing machine. Employment |
| Department of Labor Workforce Development |
Helps participants develop a resume, prepare for interviews and work on job skills. Need area addressed: Employment |
| Electrical |
Coursework involves classroom and Project based learning. Instruction includes care and use of tools, safety, work habits, fundamental math, and communication skills. Application acceptance and GED required. Need addressed: Employment |
| Financial Peace |
Teaches basic budgeting skills, how to manage money, get out of debt and plan for a solid financil future. Need addressed: Life skills |
| Fit Citizens |
Participants are provided with nutrition and fitness training. Need addressed: Life skills |
| Forklift Certification |
Training in how to use and operate a forklift. Need addressed: Employment |
| Furniture Finisher Apprenticeship |
Instruction and training in shaping, finishing, and refinishing damaged, warn or used furniture or new high grade furniture to specification. Need Addressed: Employment |
| Health Course |
This program, delivered by a wellness expert, provides workshops on preventative health education and nutrition, such as Men's Birth Control; Date Abuse; Bullying; Gender Boxes; and Hygiene. Need addressed: Health. |
| Inner Circle/Winner Circle |
Presentations provided by former inmates of NDCS, or inmates in the community explaining the struggles they experienced on their journey through NDCS. Needs addressed: Support; outside interest; life skills. |
| Launch Leadership |
Builds leadership skills through communication. Needs addressed: Attitudes/behavior, employment. |
| Laundry Machine Mechanic |
Training in industrial mechanics Needs Addressed: Employment |
| Life skills Reentry Prep |
Individuals gain skills to obtain and maintain gainful employment; to make healthier and more positive choices; to be successful and productive post release. Need addressed: Life skills |
| Machine Operator Apprenticeship |
Instruction and training to operate and tender multiple machine tools setters. Need addressed: Employment |
| Materials Coordinator Apprenticeship |
Training in material handling including shipping and receiving. Need addressed: Employment |
| Mental Health Association (MHA) HOPE supported employment |
Helps people find competitive jobs that are based on the person's preferences and abilities, developing resumes, completing job applications, preparing for interviews. Need addressed: employment |
| Mental Health Association (MHA) Inmate Support |
Inmate support is provided inside NDCS facilities by Mental Health Association peers trained in Intentional Peer Support. Needs addressed: Support |
| Mental Health Association (MHA) REAL Peer Outreach |
Provides ongoing community based support services to participants including advocating and supporting participants who want to find housing; referral and assistance obtaining other community services. Needs addressed: support and life skills |
| Mental Health Association Wellness and Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) |
Discusses deescalation; decision making and consequences; how trauma has affected a person; and how to overcome negative ways of dealing with stressful situations and crises. Need addressed: Life skills. |
| Metro Community College (MCC) 180 Outreach Support |
Assists individuals with education, training, workforce and transition support. Need addressed: education and employment support |
| Metro Community College (MCC) CDL Preparation |
Teaches CDL safety fundamentals, develops awareness of essential regulatory requirements and responsibilities not related directly to driving, explores practical CDL application of information to hands on training with a truck trainer simulator. Need addressed: Employment |
| Metro Community College (MCC) Orientation/Initial Communication |
Teaches and discusses career planning, program determination, scholarship information, registering for classes/training, financial aid/funding information, conducting assessments, creation of educational plans, and assists students with community resources referrals. Needs addressed: Education, employment |
| Metro Community College (MCC) OSHA 10 or 30 Hour |
Comprehensive training in mandated job safety requirements and guidelines. Need addressed: Employment |
| Metro Community College (MCC) Welding Preparation |
Teaches basic welding courses for entry level welding employment. Need addressed: Employment |
| Metro Community College (MCC)-ACT National Career Readiness |
Measures/certifies skills needed for job success. Used by employers, educators and others to provide evidence that job seekers have the skills employers are looking for. Need addressed: Vocational Lifeskills |
| Midplains Community College CPR and First Aid Training |
CPR and First Aid training. Need addressed: Life skills. |
| Midplains Community College Basic AC/DC Electrical Training |
Provides basic electrical training. Needs addressed: employment and life skills |
| Midplains Community College Classes Intro to Business Credit Course |
Higher level education. Needs addressed: Education; life skills; outside interest. |
| Midplains Community College Commercial Driver's License Preparatory Training |
Commercial Driver's License Training. Need addressed: Employment. |
| Midplains Community College Essential Skills in the Workplace |
Develops basic employment soft skills such as interviewing, resume building, application completion, appropriate work behavior. Need area addressed: Employment |
| Midplains Community College Focus Four Hazards Training |
Trains participants to respond to falls, caught in between, struck by and electrocutions--OSHA hazards focus. Need addressed: Employment and life skills. |
| Midplains Community College Forklift Operator Safety Training |
Forklift operating and use training. Need addressed: Employment. |
| Midplains Community College Scissor Lift and Skid Loader Operator Training |
Trains participants to use the scissor lift and skid loader. Need addressed: Employment |
| Mindfulness Yoga |
Learning and practicing meditation through body movements. Need addressed": Life skills |
| Nebraska Dept. of Transportation Flagger Course |
The course provides necessary instruction and testing for certification as an NDOT Road Construction Flagger. This certification is good for two years. Need addressed: Employment. |
| Offset Press Operator Apprenticeship |
Training in how to operate and offset printer in the Print Shop. Need addressed: Employment. |
| Planning with a Purpose |
Planning with a Purpose teaches constructive thinking, conflict resolution, responsibility and goal setting. Need addressed: Life skills. |
| Print and Bindery Apprenticeship |
Instruction and training in the binding of books and other publications, finishing products by hand or machine. Operate binding and finishing machines. |
| Reconnect Right Start |
A two week job readiness and career assessment class. Participants will learn the imporatnce of career assessments in employment success. Need addressed: employment |
| ReConnect: Final Number |
Helps participants learn to make better choices and examine thinking patterns, preparing them to take advantage of opportunities in prison that will help them succeed. Needs addressed: Attitudes, behavior. |
| Reconnect: Success Prep |
Helps participants examine behaviors and attitudes that may have contributed to their incarceration and focus on skills critical to reentry. Needs addressed: Attitudes, behavior, life skills. |
| Released and Restored |
Released and Restored provides life skills training for employment, finances and consumer education. The program also focuses on helping individuals learn critical thinking skills, recognize distorted thinking and develop techniques to address problem areas. Needs Addressed: Support; pro-social/outside interest |
| Resume class Omaha Library |
The Omaha Public Library provides resume classes to help incarcerated individuals prepare for employment searches and interviews. Need addressed: Employment; vocational Life skills. |
| RISE |
This program targets entrepreneurial-minded individuals and offers intensive leadership development, business plan competitions, executive mentoring, financial investment, and startup incubation. Needs addressed: Life skills; employment, reentry |
| RISE Continuing Education Program |
Continuing education for all RISE graduates. Need Addressed: Employment and Reentry |
| RISE First Fridays |
Provides assistance for RISE students who wish to complete the program they started in a secure facility. Need addressed: Lifeskills, reentry prosocial activity |
| RISE Reentry Support |
Provides case management to RISE graduates at the facility including job support, housing support, reentry support. Needs addressed: Reentry, |
| Serve Safe |
Food safety certification course which covers food borne illness, how to prevent it; purchasing and receiving guidelines; food prep, holding and serving guidelines; food safety management, systems and sanitation guidelines. Needs addressed: Employment; life skills. |
| Shop Tailor Apprenticeship |
Instruction and apprenticeship learning in design, creating, altering and repair of garments. Need addressed: Lifeskills and employment |
| Structural Fabricator Assembler Apprenticeship |
Instruction and learning to fabricate position, align and fit parts of structural metal parts. Need addressed: employement |
| TRADE Program CAD (Computer Aided Drafting and Blueprint) |
Teaches CAD software to increase productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation and to create a database of manufacturing. Need addressed: Employment |
| TRADE Program Core Class |
The TRADE Program teaches conflict resolution; critical thinking; communication; personal finance; healthy relationships; basic computer; job preparation. Needs Addressed: Life skills; employment. |
| TRADE Program Forklift and Warehouse Operations Module |
Teaches OSHA safety practices for forklift operations and OSHA safety practices for general certification of operations of both the YALE and Drexler forklifts. Need addressed: employment |
| TRADE Program OSHA 10 Hours |
Provide participants with the knowledge to recognize and prevent work-related accidents and injuries in general industry settings. Need area addressed: Employment |
| TRADE Program Welding |
Teaches general knowledge of welding skills and techniques specific to MIG welding. Need addressed: employment |
| Understanding Birth |
Teaches participants about healthy pregnancy and postpartum habits. Need addressed: Family, lifeskills. |
| University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) Couple and Family Clinic |
The UNL Couple and Family Resource Center provides psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families. Some programs have a cost. Need addressed: family/parenting |
| Upholstery Apprenticeship |
Trains staff in the skills of doing upholstery work. Need addressed: Employment |
| Welding Apprenticeship |
Teaches welding skills. Need addressed: Employment |
| Within My Reach |
a skills based program addressing critical tools to help participants interact with those in their lives. Subjects are knowing yourself first, smart love and making your own decisions. Need addressed: Life skills |
| Workforce Readiness |
Assists participants to prepare for returning to work and building career readiness. |
| Yin Yoga |
Learning and practicing meditation through body movements and stretches. All poses are designed to be done on bunks. Need addressed: Health, outside interest |