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Page A-22 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, May 16, 2019
ABOVE: Shawna Norberg attempts to hammer 10 nails flush with the board within 60 seconds during a practice skills test Monday in Belfair. Norberg
is one of the first graduates of the Trades Related Apprenticeship Coaching (TRAC) program at Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women.
BELOW: The first graduating class of Mission Creek's TRAC program includes: (back row left to right) Jennifer Eberle, Jacquelyn Bouton, Aubrey De
Santiago, Jami Spies, Norberg, Konstance Kenrick and Annie Faalogo (front). They are accompanied by instructor John Brown. Herald photo by Dana Kampa
nts set h
ar m
tests
- ?
continued from page A-19
challenges. On a construction
site, where footpaths are con-
stantly changing and objects
are left in the way, workers
need to be able to carry cum--
bersome wooden beams or ma-
neuver a wheelbarrow with
ease and without endangering
others.
Brown gave the trainees
pointers on potential pitfalls
of the testing, encouraging
them to clearly demonstrate
techniques they've been prac-
ticing the past 20 weeks.
"Don't underestimate what
you've learned," Brown told
the group.
Tramees gmn their certi-
fication in cement masonry,
the laborers union, carpentry
and iron working, though they
can choose an area in which to
specialize. Brown said this
gives them preferred entry
into those unions. Laborers
was one of the most popular
because of its variety.
"It suits me," said trainee
Annie Faalogo. "It fits my
mind set. I like to be the first
one in, last one out. And I hope
to be a labor foreman sooner
rather than later. I'm good
with people, and I'm good at
getting the job done."
Trainee Jennifer- Eberle
said carpentry attracted her
because she appreciates how
woodworking plays a role from
beginning to end on a con-
struction site, in both indus-
trial and commercial work.
Two TRAC students were
not present for training that
day, only because they al-
ready found apprenticeships.
"Brown said the ,trainees
have gone above and beyond
in their studies. In addition
to" building the very facil-
ity where they trained, and
where future TRAC students
will learn, the Mission Creek
grads tackled hours upon
hours of homework.
For their class project, they
built shelters for the cen-
ter's beehives to help protect
against heavy rains.
"We're pretty proud that
we contribute to the commu-
nity here," Brown said.
Trainees also took great
pride in helping establish a
successful new program at the
facility, with hopefully many
Billy, hindered the TRAC fa-
cility construction for a day
and a half. He was firmly
lodged in the soft, right at the
cusP of the depth the crew
needed to dig the foundation.
"We were breakin~ teeth
off the drill rig trying to get
him out of there," Brown said,
crediting Faalogo with finally
winning the war,
After successfully excavat-
ing Billy, trainees painted
eyes on him and Billy be-
came a great listener for any-
one who needed to voice frus-
trations.
TRAC teaches both prac-
tical and soft skills, which
Brown said is especially im-
graduates to follow.
Eberle said she especially
appreciated learning how to
build strong relationships
with peers, a skill she antici-
pates will carry over into her
work.
"We come to prison, and it's
not a place you would come to
thinking you'll be able to trust
in others, Confide in others
and have high exPectations
of others," Eberle said. "But
TRAC has been the exact op-
posite of that."
Trainee Aubrey De San-
tiago said she feels that
she's grown a lot as a person
through the program.
"All the girls that are up
here every single day, we go
through a-lot," De Santiago
said. "It brings us closer.
TRAC, for me, is more like a
family than just inmates."
Though they enjoyed the
work, it wasn't always easy.
Their mascot, a "heavy as
heck" granite boulder named
portant for trainees working
to break into a, field that is
historically male dominated,
while also defying the stigma
of a criminal background.
"It can be a real hurdle,"
Brown said when it comes to
fitting in with a crew. ':We
walk through a lot of that. My
goal is to take some of the fear -
out of it. You do that by edu-
catirfg and giving them those
soft skills.'"
Brown said it means TRAC
trainees have to work that
much harder to excel, and
they do.
'Wge just completed labor-
ers preconstrnetion training
last'week, and Ms. (Jami)
Spies kicked butt," Brown
said. "She scored the highest
for the laborer testing."
He said TRAC graduates
tend to score high in certi-
fication testing. One TRAC
graduate from Purdy Womens
Correctional Facility in Gig
Harbor recently ranked firsl
in the iron working testing to provide ~that" ir~surance
- and not just among TRAC
students, but of all 50 people.
Brown said TRAC students
routinely place in the top I0
percent.
As he explained when Mis-
sion Creek first launched the
program, setting inmates up
to enter the workforce-with a
living-wage job and benefits
both reduces recidivism rates
and sets them up to be posi-
tive forces in the community.
"A lot of these women
are mothers, and to be able
and things for your family is
huge," Brown said.
Of the seven graduates,
four will leave Mission Creek
within two weeks of gradua-
tion, poised to pursue careers
in the field.
'%Ve've had some amaz-
ing successes, and we haven't
even graduated a class yet,"
Brown said. "The program
works. It's obviously not a
solution for everyone, but for
some women here, it is. It's
life changing)'
+