LAWRENCE, Mass. — Ten incarcerated men at the Essex County Sheriff’s Department’s Pre-Release and Re-Entry Center have earned their Tier 1 Plumbing Certification, becoming the first graduates of Massachusetts’ first correctional facility-based plumbing training program.
The innovative program, funded through a $1.2 million grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, is designed to prepare justice-involved individuals for careers in one of the Commonwealth’s most in-demand trades while addressing critical workforce shortages across the plumbing industry.
Graduates completed 110 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of hands-on training in a two-story plumbing training structure built inside the Lawrence facility. Participants gained practical experience installing water heaters, plumbing bathrooms, and completing residential plumbing systems from start to finish.
Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger said the program is focused on providing participants with meaningful opportunities for long-term success after incarceration.
“For many people leaving incarceration, the biggest challenge isn’t wanting a better life. It’s finding an opportunity to build one,” Coppinger said. “This program gives participants more than a certification. It gives them a skill, a set of tools, and a real chance to support themselves and their families. When people leave here with a pathway to a career, they’re far more likely to succeed, and that makes our communities safer.”
Plumbing Instructor Michael Bloomer echoed that message as he addressed the graduates during the ceremony, encouraging them to view the certification as the beginning of a new chapter.
“You earned something bigger than this certificate. You earned the opportunity to create your pathway within this critical trade,” Bloomer told the graduates. “Your future is in front of you, and it’s your turn to write the next chapter.”
The initiative goes beyond traditional vocational training by providing comprehensive post-release support through a partnership with Volunteers of America Massachusetts. Each graduate receives a professional toolbox upon completion and is eligible for up to one year of continued assistance after release.
Services provided by Volunteers of America Massachusetts include job placement assistance, transportation to and from work, case management, and financial support to help participants pursue additional industry certifications and continue advancing their careers in the plumbing and skilled trades fields.
Matt Marrano, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Volunteers of America Massachusetts, praised the graduates for completing the program and recognized their role in launching the state’s first correctional facility-based plumbing certification initiative.
“Completing this program required commitment, perseverance, and a willingness to challenge yourselves,” Marrano told graduates. “Being a part of this first cohort means that each of you has helped lay the foundation for future participants who will follow in your footsteps.”
Unlike many workforce development programs that end when participants leave custody, the Essex County initiative is designed to provide a continuum of support as graduates transition back into the community and workforce.
“We’ve seen firsthand what this opportunity can mean,” Coppinger said. “One participant chose to stay and complete the program rather than take early parole because he knew this certification could change the direction of his life. That’s what this is really about — giving people a chance to leave here with a skill, a purpose, and a plan for the future.”
Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure Commissioner Sarah Wilkinson and Department of Licensure Deputy Commissioner Andrew Bridges joined Sheriff Coppinger, department officials, plumbing instructor Michael Bloomer, and community partners in recognizing the graduates during a ceremony at the Essex County Pre-Release and Re-Entry Center.
“This life-changing program provides opportunity and a pathway to success for incarcerated individuals, while addressing industry workforce shortages,” said Wilkinson. “We look forward to working with graduates of the plumbing training program to help them achieve their reentry goals and build meaningful and fulfilling careers.”
The plumbing industry continues to face significant workforce shortages as employers seek to replace an aging workforce and fill critical positions. Program leaders say the initiative helps meet that demand while creating a pathway to stable employment for individuals reentering society.
The current graduating class is the first of several cohorts expected to complete the program over the next three years. The initiative aims to train approximately 60 participants, creating a pipeline of skilled workers ready to enter a field facing labor shortages throughout Massachusetts.
The plumbing certification program joins hundreds of educational, vocational, and reentry initiatives offered by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, all aimed at reducing recidivism, strengthening workforce participation, and improving public safety.
“A job can be the difference between someone returning to old habits and someone building a new life,” Coppinger said. “We’re helping people create a future for themselves and their families while making our communities safer.”