Fresh Start Employability

A comprehensive 10-day employability curriculum specifically designed for incarcerated adults earning their HSED. The course guides students from self-reflection and local Wisconsin resource mapping to resume construction, interview mastery for justice-involved individuals, and long-term career retention.

VLV Lundgren

Self Discovery and Direction

Days 1-2: Focuses on establishing a positive personal mindset, analyzing individual values and strengths, and identifying realistic, high-growth career pathways. Students explore how their incarceration experience can translate into professional soft skills.

Navigating the System

Days 3-4: Direct focus on filling out paper-based employment applications and mapping essential community re-entry resources across Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, WI. Covers strategies for addressing conviction gaps on forms.

Professional Paperwork

Days 5-6: Demystifies resumes and cover letters for individuals with employment gaps. Students analyze functional and hybrid formats, study real-world examples, and draft their own professional materials using structured templates.

The Advocacy Interview

Days 7-8: Demystifies the interview process. Students master the '3-Step Turnaround' technique to address conviction history honestly and positively. Practice includes simulated mock interviews and confidence-building drills.

Career Success and Retention

Days 9-10: Focuses on long-term career growth. Covers soft skills (communication, accepting constructive feedback), reliability, understanding employee rights, navigating company policies, and managing workplace conflict.