The Newton County Sheriff’s Office, with its continual partnership with Action, Inc., graduated seven inmate residents from the Welding Training Program on July 26, 2024.
The seven inmate residents who graduated from the Welding Training Program were: Latrevious Smith, Kevon Hatsfield, Joseph Seay, Bruce Bolton, Ronterius Spear, Duante Fulmore and Vincent Stephenson. Through the NCSO’s Workforce Development Office, the inmate residents have the opportunity to become employed upon release from the Newton County Detention Center. The starting pay rate for the field of welding begins at $18-22/hour, and there are no caps on the pay welders can receive for their work.
“I am grateful for not only the continued partnership the Office of the Sheriff has with Action,Inc. but for the positive opportunities provided to the inmate residents housed in our facility,” said Sheriff Ezell Brown. “The programs we offer to the inmate residents housed in the Newton County Detention Center provide the skills and training needed to return to society as lawabiding citizens. I congratulate every one of our graduates for completing the Welding Training Program. Also, 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.”
Brown added, “I also want to thank our guest speaker, Antonio Taylor, the CEO of Platinum Luxury Fleet, for providing words of encouragement to all our graduates.”
The inmate residents had the opportunity to participate in the American Welding Society’s Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) Sheet Metal tests following the end of the program’s course.
The WPS Sheet Metal tests are administered by an AWS Certified Welding Inspector(CWI) and graded on the following: a visual inspection of the welding coupon and a “bend test,” which tests the integrity of the welded coupon. All the graduates of the Welding Training Program passed the WPS Sheet Metal tests.
Additionally, the graduates received training certifications for the following: Welding, OHSA 10, Forklift Operator/Safety, Lean Six Sigma White Belt, CPR/First Aid/AED, Soft Skills and Employability Ethics.
