(FBOP) - Earlier this year, the FCI Edgefield Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Apprenticeship Program successfully completed its first delivery of orders for UNICOR, the trade name for the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (FBOP) Federal Prisons Industries. This is a milestone for FCI Edgefield because the program addresses two critical needs of adults in custody (AICs): skill building and employability.
After earning their Class A CDL in the vocational training program, students have the opportunity to enhance those skills by participating in the Department of Labor (DOL) Apprenticeship program. The program is led by the FCI Edgefield Vocational Training Instructor who equips AICs with the licensure, practical driving experience, and professional certification that will allow them to successfully reenter society once they have completed their sentence. The AICs in the apprenticeship program use their new skills to transport UNICOR-produced goods from two FBOP facilities more than 300 miles between South Carolina and Georgia.
The apprenticeship, first and foremost, allows eligible AICs to earn First Step Act Time Credits while learning a professional skill that will be of assistance to them post-release. Second, the program allows apprentices to earn UNICOR wages, creating a better opportunity for them to save funds for the future. In addition to the ability to network with warehouse and shipping company representatives, the experience gained within the program allows AICs to highlight their resumes with the marketable skills and certifications they achieved while in custody.
Overall, this collaboration between the FBOP, DOL, and Federal Prison Industries, is a feat that benefits all parties involved. Most significantly, the AICs in the Edgefield CDL Apprenticeship program obtain the qualifications to succeed as productive citizens in our communities while gaining valuable industry insights and experience. The CDL Apprenticeship program prepares AICs for more than a positive reentry but for a positive outcome.