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.
“I had to be there [at Scott County Jail] at 8:30; I was there at 8:29 a.m.,” Holland said. He said he had a headache and some trepidation. “But I got there, and there was a different feel. I didn’t have the same nerves when I walked into prison before…. They [the prison officials] treated me good, they told me what to expect.” The Summit Academy recruiting team had their staging area in an unused cell block. Over the course of a few hours, they met with three sets of inmates, introducing them to the school’s GED and training programs.
Holland said that the electrical and carpentry industries are considered more felon-friendly than other industries, so they focused on those programs while at the jail. “If you’re looking for a way to change your life with no out-of-pocket costs,” then Summit Academy programs can help you, Holland said.
Holland recalled a conversation he had with a female inmate at the jail. He told her, “you can be anything you want.”
“But I have a felony,” she said.
“So do I,” he answered.
After talking with Holland, another inmate was excited to take the GED test.
“Who says that? Who says ‘I can’t wait to take the test?’ And they were so happy. I see me in them. I had a chance to inspire them,” Holland said. “They said, ‘I’m gonna call you. I’m gonna tell my cousin to come.’ I thought, wow, this is where we need to be.”
Summit’s 10-week GED course prepares students for the GED test; students need a high school diploma or GED certificate in order to apply to one of Summit’s job training programs.
Holland likes to say that if you “have an ounce of confidence,” you’ll build on that if you apply yourself at one of Summit’s programs. At the school, Holland enjoys supporting students. “I make it my business to stop and talk to students, especially [the] ones who’ve got their heads hung low. We don’t know what they go through, but if they know somebody cares, they’ll do better,” he said.
Prospective students can meet Holland and other Summit representatives at an Open House on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 3 to 5 p.m. at 935 Olson Memorial Highway in Minneapolis.
The Open House includes:
● Hands-on demonstrations from instructors
● Breakout sessions for Construction, IT Specialist, Medical Administrative Assistant and Financial Services
● Detailed information on the admissions process
● Meet Student Advising and Career services team members
● Tours and demonstrations
Summit offers a 20-week Information Technology , Construction , Financial Services , and Healthcare accredited training courses as well as the 10-week GED program. They also offer a 6-week Food Manufacturing customized training course.
Those who attend will learn how to gain skills needed to land a career in the field of their choice, obtain their GED and more. There’s free on-site parking; complimentary snacks and refreshments will be provided. Register for the October 17 Open House here and contact admissions@saoic.org or call 612-377-0150 with any questions.
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