Enrolling in WRTP | BIG STEP’s Entry-Level Construction Skills (ELCS) program taught Edmund Reetz, who was already a welder by trade, some unexpected lessons.
“There were valuable transferable skills that I learned going through the program, like showing up on time and committing yourself to something,” Edmund says. “It was just what I needed coming out of prison.”
Edmund, who’s originally from Beloit, was released on probation in Dane County, where he didn’t know anyone and only had a $180 release check to get him on his feet. JustDane, a nonprofit that serves justice-impacted people, connected him with WRTP | BIG STEP’s Madison office to help him build his employability skills.
“I struggled with impostor syndrome, being on and off drugs with various degrees of success,” Edmund says. “I knew I had to make some changes in my life. I need to stay sober and work on character development. I was able to work on those skills through BIG STEP.”
The ELCS coursework was familiar to Edmund because he had already worked as a welder, but he made a surprising discovery during class that led him to his future career path.
“We spent a whole class period working on the inch, and I had these thoughts of, ‘Yeah, I know,’ but then I realized that, for some of my classmates, it was the first time that they ever picked up a tape measure,” Edmund says. “I would go around once I finished working, and I found out that I really liked helping people. You never know what you’re going to learn if you keep an open mind.”
After graduating from the ELCS program in March 2024, Edmund took a non-union welding job at a small, family-owned company. Business slowed down, leading to Edmund’s layoff. He was in recovery at the time, and he says a voice was telling him it was time to make a life change. Instead of going back to welding, Edmund took a job at Tellurian Behavioral Health in Madison and has since worked his way up to a leadership position.
“Coming out of prison, it’s hard to imagine what life can be when you have these societal labels on you and self-limiting beliefs,” Edmund says. “I was able to gain some confidence going through the BIG STEP courses. I was intimidated by the steamfitters’ math test, but I surprised myself and did pretty well. That gave me confidence to dare to dream, instead of thinking I had to fall back on my welding skills because I’m an ex-con. I can do something that’s rewarding and purposeful to me.”