Incarcerated Milwaukee men graduate MATC welding program before release

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A group of Milwaukee men got a second chance at their future after graduating from Milwaukee Area Technical College with a certificate in welding. 

Life can take us down many different roads. Jevon Curtis' life took him to one behind bars. 

“Drug dealing, but you know that was just the product of my environment. Maybe I would’ve taken a different path than the path I took," said Curtis. 

Now, it's taking him on a different journey. Curtis, along with nine other incarcerated men got the chance to walk across a graduation stage after completing a 16-week welding course.

“We taught them some math, we taught them some blueprint reading, some communications and just watching them grow into people that actually know what they’re doing now -- know a little about welding. It’s pretty cool," said David Lunz, the welding instructor at MATC.

The partnership with the Department of Corrections hopes to give people a chance to succeed once they get out. MATC says inmates are 43% less likely to reoffend if they take educational classes during their sentence. 

“It’s been a journey, but I’m here and hopefully, I can use this to better myself in life," said Curtis. 

Curtis says this certificate is not just about him, it's also for others who began their journey like he did. 

“Being a Black male, you know, a minority, I’m trying to show that other minorities, you can be a welder, you can be an iron smith, you can be a carpenter. There are other opportunities out there for us," said Curtis.