I recently had the the privilege of sitting down with Deb Harris from Jobs and Hope West Virginia on our Construct-ive Conversations podcast, and I've got to tell you, this organization is doing incredible work right here in our state.
Back in 2019, Jobs and Hope West Virginia was announced in the state of the state address. The idea was simple but powerful: help individuals eliminate barriers to employment, specifically those in treatment recovery or coming out of some type of justice involvement. These formerly incarcerated individuals face unique barriers to employment and to reintegration into their communities in general.
What started as a vision funded by the West Virginia legislature has grown into something truly remarkable. The program was designed to help eliminate all the barriers people face to employment, provide some type of training or education, and then help with placement in employment.
Deb's background makes her the perfect fit for this work. She came from the education world, specifically higher education, where she worked at Bridge Valley as a counselor for individuals on TANF, navigating college to help them be successful in their college journey. But here's what really struck me: Deb herself was on TANF when she attended community college as a non-traditional student. She needed assistance to be successful in higher education and then in the workplace.
That lived experience? That's invaluable. Deb has been there and done that. She's navigated barriers of her own and has a real perspective on what folks might need to be successful. You can't fake that kind of understanding.
The growth of this program has been nothing short of impressive. They started with 10 transition agents covering all 55 counties. Today, they have 24 transition agents serving all 55 counties, plus four reentry liaisons who work in correctional facilities helping with reentry prior to release. And remember, this growth happened even with COVID thrown into the mix!
They've added training opportunities for participants based on workforce needs in the state and additional incentives for employers. When I asked Deb about future growth, she was clear: there's lots of potential for growth, contingent on funding.
One of their most popular programs is a partnership with the West Virginia Military Authority and the National Guard at Camp Dawson. This is a 28-day heavy equipment operator training, and here's what makes it special:
Participants go and stay at Camp Dawson. They're housed, they're fed, and they're trained on five to six pieces of heavy equipment. They also complete OSHA training, so they're coming out workplace-ready.
But here's the best part for employers: at the end of that training, Jobs and Hope brings employers in to host a job fair. The participants are ready with a resume and have gone through mock interviewing, so they can get their foot in the door with employers right there on site.
This partnership goes back to the days when if you wanted something done, you went to the Military Authority. That partnership has been maintained and expanded since 2019, and it's been incredibly successful.
Jobs and Hope doesn't stop at heavy equipment training. They have partnerships with Putnam Career and Technical College (and shout out to the Caldwells at PCTC—CD is great!), along with lots of higher education CTE programs throughout the state.
What really impressed me is that they have CTE programs inside correctional facilities as well. The West Virginia Schools of Diversion and Transition oversees all educational programming in correctional facilities, and they have some great CTE programs and instructors inside the walls that prepare folks for employment prior to their release. You can also do one-off forklift training with some of those CTE facilities statewide. So there are lots of options for construction-related training.
You hear it all the time: "People just don't want to work." But after my conversation with Deb, I'm more convinced than ever that this isn't the real story.
Deb put it perfectly: "I don't believe that's true. I think West Virginians are known as hardworking individuals. I believe if you're not working, there's something preventing you from being successful in the workplace."
So what kind of barriers are we talking about? In the rural landscape of West Virginia, these obstacles can seem insurmountable: transportation, driver's license issues, car repair, identification, dental care, and child care. These aren't excuses. These are real barriers that prevent people from being successful in the workplace.
One example really stood out to me: the partnership with the DMV. Deb made a point of saying, "Anytime I get the opportunity to say this, the DMV has been wonderful. The DMV has been a great partner with us."
If someone has fines and fees that they need to get paid off to get their driver's license reinstated, Jobs and Hope can help them do a citations request with the DMV. The results? They've been successful in over 3,000 individuals getting their driver's license reinstated through this partnership. That's 3,000 people who can now drive to work legally.
But what about people who don't have a car at all? Jobs and Hope has that covered too. Through their partnership with the Office of Drug Control Policy, Mode of Care holds the state non-emergency medical transportation contract. This means they can transport individuals to and from work, to and from school—anything that they need Jobs and Hope related so that they can get where they need to go.
If you're out there and you really want to work but have these barriers, reaching out is straightforward. You can call the hotline or go on the website and click "start your journey."
The eligibility requirements are reasonable: you have to be 18, a resident of West Virginia, have a barrier to employment, be ready and willing to do some type of training or education, have career employment as your goal, and pass a drug screen.
That last point is important for employers: if someone is a Jobs and Hope participant, they're already drug screened. Employers don't have to worry about that, and they know they're working with someone who's committed to eliminating any barriers they have.
Here's something Deb said that really resonated with me: "The program's called Jobs and Hope. And I think a lot of the emphasis is always put on the jobs. Of course, you have to have a job, but sometimes the job is the hope for individuals."
She's right. Sometimes it's not a second chance or a third chance—it's just a fair chance. If these individuals are coming to you trained with certifications, in a program, trying to better themselves, give them a fair chance, just like you would anyone else applying for a job.
Everything Jobs and Hope is doing is making West Virginia a better place and making our great state that much greater. The program isn't just about placing people in jobs. It's about restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and strengthening our communities.
Want to learn more? Visit jobsandhope.wv.gov or email Deb Harris at drharris@k12.wv.us. Follow them on Facebook for stories of hope and upcoming events.