Workforce Challenge 

Coming out of prison in May 2015 was the start of a new beginning for Darryl. He had been incarcerated for 10 months because of a drug conviction.  He desperately wanted a new lifestyle and sought out the resources that could turn his situation around. Darryl connected with MOED to find training and employment.

Workforce Solution

Darryl connected with MOED’s Prison to One-Stop program which connects ex-offenders with the agency’s One-Stop Career Centers so they can utilize a wide variety of job-readiness tools and programs. For Darryl, this meant getting help writing his resume and attending a session that taught interviewing techniques.

Over the next 90 days, staff in the Prison to One-Stop program continued to work with Darryl helping him place keywords in his resume and emphasizing interviewing skills to help him sell himself and stand on his CDL truck driving credentials. At home, Darryl’s kindergarten-aged daughter kept him motivated to land a job so that he could provide for her. He recalled his days in prison when his daughter would visit him. It was in those moments that he knew he wanted to be a bigger part of her life.

Outcomes & Benefits

Darryl’s determination and his partnership with MOED paid off. His new resume and his honed interview skills landed him a job working for Class Produce (CFC Trucking) in Jessup, MD where he makes $17.50 per hour with a $100.00 daily bonus as part of a new contract. When asked what his family thinks of him, Darryl says, “They are proud of me and I am glad I made the change.” He also advises ex-offenders who are thinking about using the services at the Re-entry Center in MOED’s Northwest One-Stop Career Center to never be afraid to ask for help.