Active program Umbrella Place Education

AI workforce readiness for people behind the wall.

We run a twelve-month program that takes incarcerated learners from any starting point to a real portfolio, a chosen discipline, and a working plan for the day after release. AI is the multiplier. The work is real.

The program at a glance

One year. Eight tracks. A real portfolio.

The AI Workforce Readiness Program runs across five corrections facilities. Every learner finishes with proof of work that survives a hiring conversation, not just a certificate.

12Months of structured days
8Discipline tracks
5Active facilities
1Capstone, shipped

Eight disciplines. AI-native. Hireable.

After a sampler month, every learner picks a discipline and goes deep for the rest of the year. The four primary tracks run in every cohort. The four alternatives rotate based on the regional employer landscape and the cohort's interests.

PrimaryCodingFront-end and Python with AI as pair programmer
PrimaryData AnalyticsSpreadsheets, SQL, dashboards, written reports
PrimaryCustomer ServiceChatbots, knowledge bases, ticket systems, QA
PrimaryDigital MarketingContent, SEO, campaigns, freelance fundamentals
AlternateBusiness OperationsThe small-business generalist's toolkit
AlternateSkilled Trades + AIThe business-side skills that promote the trades worker
AlternateSales & Business DevOne of the most meritocratic income paths
AlternateReal Estate OperationsWholesaling, VA work, property management support
How the year is built

Five phases. Same daily structure every day.

The container is the contract. What changes is the content. The structure stays the same so that follow-through becomes a habit, not a hope.

Months 1–2

Foundation

Tech and AI literacy. Prompting basics. Working with AI honestly. The AI Code of Conduct.

Months 3–4

Choose

Sample every discipline. Write a selection letter. Scope a real first project. Get the capstone idea approved.

Months 5–8

Deep dive

Four months in the chosen discipline. Tools, vocabulary, portfolio pieces. AI as a pair programmer, not a crutch.

Months 9–11

Capstone

Scope, build, polish. A real, large-scale, production-quality project that survives a hiring conversation.

Month 12

Bridge

Showcase to outside guests where allowed. Resume. Interview practice. Freelance setup. A re-entry plan written by the learner.

Three numbers we built the program around.

The case for funding workforce readiness behind the wall isn't sentimental. It's arithmetic.

16%

Recidivism with stable employment, versus about 52 percent for those who remain unemployed after release. Employment is the single biggest predictor.

+28%

Improvement in employment outcomes for incarcerated individuals who complete vocational training during their sentence.

1

AI fluency is the highest-leverage skill being added to the workforce right now. It is teachable in twelve months from any starting point.

Who we serve and partner with

The program lives or dies on four relationships.

None of these work without the others. We invest in all four.

Incarcerated learners

The people doing the work. Adults with futures worth investing in. Capable, accountable, and treated like it from day one.

Facility leadership

Wardens, education directors, and corrections leadership running the program inside. They give the program room to operate; we deliver outcomes they can defend.

Chaplains and re-entry programs

The continuity from inside to outside. They handle the hand-off when sentences end. We connect graduates to them before release, not after.

Employers and freelance markets

The reason the certificate matters. Background-friendly small businesses, freelance platforms, and partners willing to look at the portfolio first and the record second.

Want to bring this to your facility, partner on the curriculum, or hire a graduate?

We're actively expanding facility partnerships, refining the alternative tracks for new regions, and connecting graduates to employers who'll look at the work. Reach out and we'll find the right next step.

Get in touch