Sheriff Ezell Brown and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Action, Inc. and Piedmont Technical College, graduated five inmate residents from the Manufacturing Readiness Training program on May 22.

The Manufacturing Readiness Training program is designed to provide inmate residents with practical workforce skills and industry-recognized certifications to help prepare them for successful reentry into the community upon release. Through hands-on instruction, workplace readiness training and mentorship, participants gain valuable experience that can lead to employment opportunities in the manufacturing and skilled trades industries.

The inmate residents who graduated from the program were Matthew White, Michael Nolley, William Lee, Darren Kippes and Erick Wright.

“I am proud of the continued partnership between the Sheriff’s Office, Action, Inc. and Piedmont Technical College, which makes programs like this possible,”Brown said. “These training opportunities provide inmate residents with valuable skills and certifications that support successful reentry and long-term employment. I congratulate every one of our graduates, and I thank all those who provided support and encouragement to these graduates during the last few weeks. They couldn’t have done it without you.”

The graduates received certifications in OSHA 10, forklift operator/safety, Lean Six Sigma White Belt, CPR/First Aid/AED, soft skills and employability ethics.