Workforce Development

Reentry | Employment Roadmap

Recommendations: Workforce Development

1) Invest in rentry and workforce development programs and create pathways to reduce time from release to job placement with the aim of reduced recidivism.

2) Create a welcoming culture, wraparound support, continuous coaching, and upscaling opportunities to support successful integration into the organization and encourage long-term career growth.

“How do I get this individual that may or may not have a high school diploma and I'm talking about the standard incarcerated person out there tends to be not a college graduate or beyond high school level of learning? Maybe it blesses them to get a GED? It does. But then again, not a requirement for our agency, But how do you get them to that next level where they’re a viable candidate? And that's the big hurdle.”

- USFS Engine Captain

Ventura Training Center

CAL FIRE, California Conservation Corps (CCC), and CDCR, in partnership with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), developed an 18-month enhanced firefighter training and certification program at the Ventura Training Center (VTC), located in Ventura County. VTC began training participants in October 2018 and accepts trainees who have recently been part of a trained firefighting workforce housed in fire camps or institutional firehouses operated by CAL FIRE and CDCR. Members of the CCC are also eligible to participate.
As of August 2022, VTC cost $29.5 million over 4 years and had just 106 graduates, with about 40% of 277 participants who did not complete the program.

Academic credentials are evaluated for all positions, but more critical for forestry-related jobs and less for fire-related positions (n =16)

Community college wildland fire programs are increasingly utilized for agency recruitment (n=7)

Entry into Wildland Firefighting & Forestry Careers at CAL FIRE

Entry into Wildland Firefighting & Forestry Careers at USFS and Leading Private Contractors

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