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Apprenticeship Council approves first-ever Angola welder/fitter program
Initiative part of statewide push for reentry programs to prevent recurrence

BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DOC) has received official approval from the State Apprenticeship Council to establish a welder/fitter Registered Apprenticeship Program at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

The program will involve preparing inmates with life sentences becoming mentors for other “short-timer” inmates interested in pursuing welding and/or pipefitting careers after they are released from prison.

The first of its kind in Louisiana, the program is part of an overall, statewide effort by Gov. John Bel Edwards to better prepare offenders for careers upon reentry. The initiative also is in accord with DOC’s mission of emphasizing reentry efforts, an ideal frequently emphasized by DOC Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc.

“It’s a small piece of the governor’s and Louisiana’s overarching agenda to reduce recidivism and incarceration in Louisiana,” said Joseph Hollins, State Director of Registered Apprenticeship.

The LWC, the State Apprenticeship Council, the DOC and Angola’s Prison Enterprises began working to create the program in November 2017, which involved an extensive process to determine which occupation would best suit the program and its participants. Organizers ultimately chose the welder/fitter position in the metal-fabrication shop in Angola’s Prison Enterprises.

DOC Assistant Secretary Rhett Covington said that the benefits of the welder/fitter program will be multifaceted.

“I am very pleased with the recent approval of our state’s first registered apprenticeship program for those who are incarcerated,” Covington said. “We have some very skilled welder/fitters serving long sentences who now have a way to give back by training apprentices. I want to thank the Apprenticeship Council and the Workforce Commission for their approval and assistance. I also want to thank Prison Enterprises for their leadership and hard work making this program a reality. I appreciate the recognition of the need for programs like this for those who will soon be returning to our communities and looking for legitimate employment at a livable wage.”

LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie sees the initiative as a substantial contribution to reentry initiatives in Louisiana.

“Education and training are proven on a continual basis to be antidotes for recidivism,” Dejoie said. “The LWC and its partners are taking a proactive approach by investing in workforce development, safety and overall well-being of Louisiana’s communities. We are providing nonviolent offenders with an alternative method of sustenance while simultaneously establishing and bolstering their marketable skills.”

For information about Registered Apprenticeship in Louisiana, visit laworks.net.

About the Louisiana Workforce Commission

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is an agency of state government that administers programs designed to enhance workforce growth and provide family-sustaining jobs for Louisiana residents. The commission monitors employment, administers unemployment compensation and tax funds, provides training resources for employers and employees and oversees worker compensation benefits. The agency also gathers and supplies information on the labor market and occupational sectors in Louisiana.

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