April 8, 2021
Tallahassee Community College and the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) recognized seven transitioning offenders who have earned their commercial driver’s license and vocational certificate.
The collaboration for the commercial vehicle driving (CVD) program is the first of its kind to exist in Florida. The transitioning offenders took courses for eight weeks to earn their credentials.
“The seven of you have set yourselves on a path not defined by the past,” said Mark Inch, FDC Secretary and keynote speaker for the commencement. “But defined by what you just did and now with the skillset to move forward.”
Robert Riso, one of the seven CVD graduates served as the student speaker.
“It is an honor to be standing here today representing this group of men graduating from the first ever Department of Corrections Commercial Vehicle Driving program,” Riso said. “It was far from easy and there were many hurdles that we had to overcome but we overcame them together as a team. We didn’t know what to expect but the staff here at TCC were exceptional in guiding us through the course every step of the way. To think any of us would be as comfortable as we are driving a commercial vehicle is amazing.”
Due to the success of this workforce driven program, FDC and TCC have jointly agreed to extend the program into 2022. The students who complete this program will be employable day 1 in an in-demand industry.
“Second chances are critical for those seeking to become a productive citizen when making the transition from incarceration,” said Kimberly A. Moore, Vice President for Workforce Innovation TCC2WORK/Be Essential. “Here at TCC we are committed to being the bridge that transitions an inmate from a cell to a career focusing on workforce programs that are in-demand and that lead to a living wage.”
TCC has trained and issued more than 1,200 credentials at five different corrections facilities and one work release center across Florida. Additionally, TCC plans to launch two new programs which are welding and machining in the next few months. The new programs will be located at the facilities and will include state-of-the-art equipment designed to mirror the work environment that these individuals see once they’ve transitioned.