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| Former Felon Finds Success Through OCNJ Training | ||
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| When Phil Baskerville tells his story of climbing out of a life behind bars, and into the empowering world in which he lives today, you can hear a pin drop in the room. His voice is powerful; his message heartfelt. And there is a theme which lingers long after the classroom of ex-felons at The First Occupational Center’s Elizabeth facility has emptied and the audience has parted ways, “If I can do it, you can too.” There was a time when the world was not smiling upon the 44-year-old Baskerville’s life; when, until the age of 38, trouble always seemed to find him. A recovering drug addict who spent more time incarcerated than he would like to admit, he was adrift on an empty sea of life until he reached an epiphany one day while standing on the streets of Newark. “I was free from the chains in which I had bound myself,” he remembered after a short incarceration, and then and there determined to change the course of his life. A sentence of Drug Court and a stint in Integrity House led him to The First Occupational Center of New Jersey, the non-profit agency with an established track record of training ex-offenders and preparing them for the workforce. Some of the issues ex-offenders face, including the stigma of having been behind bars as well as the lack of trust from potential employers and few marketable skills, are all addressed in the OCNJ programs geared toward the re-entry population. “We build their self-confidence by giving these ex-felons marketable skills and encouraging them to pursue their certifications, like ablack seal license,” said Lazaro Tabachnik, who teaches classes at OCNJ. “And we stress being honest with potential employers and aligning themselves with inspirational mentors.” Phil says that he connected with OCNJ at the right time in his life. “OCNJ was there for me when I needed it most,” Phil remembered, describing his training at the OCNJ Orange facility, where he learned janitorial services. He then moved on to six months of training in the Agency’s building trades and black seal program in Elizabeth, a move that put him in on a road to a new beginning in his life. Like so many others who wear the scar of “reentry” from the prison system, Phil lacked the focus and confidence he needed to succeed. He found it during an internship program, an important component of OCNJ’s program, where he worked as a boiler operator for the city of Newark. Now an Operations Engineer in Newark with a license as a black seal boiler operator and certification as a pool operator, Phil is proud of the road he took, which he described as a “spiritual journey” that has brought him a marriage and child, as well as a vehicle and home ownership. “Before I was a menace, and now I am a productive member of society,” he says, adding that he is compelled to help others learn the skills he has so that they, too, can find success and respect in their lives. “I thank OCNJ for helping me to find a way to do what I want to do in my life,” he says. |
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