Getting a fresh start isn’t always an easy road, but a North Minneapolis trade school has programs that can help. Summit Academy OIC, a career and technical education center, offers programs for those seeking to earn their GED certificates and find jobs training. The school will host an open house on Thursday, October 17, and those with criminal records are encouraged to attend.
Bukwon Holland, a Summit Academy admissions recruiter, knows how hard it can be getting a job out of prison. As a former felon and experienced carpenter, Holland received a scholarship for carpentry training at Summit about 10 years ago, and now he helps students, including those with criminal records, navigate the application process. He started his position several months ago.
About a month into his new job, Summit had scheduled a recruiting event at the Scott County Jail in Shakopee, and Holland was expected to attend. Holland said initially he had balked at the thought of traveling out to the jail. Because of his own experience with the prison system, he was reluctant. “I did not want to go, I was like ‘you’re gonna have to fire me.’ ” But he talked to friends and family members, and they all agreed it could be good for him.