START Success Stories

The Skills, Tasks, and Results Training (START) program is viable and relevant to today's economy and at the same time is interesting and doable. It offers hope to the released inmate that she can find gainful employment upon release. The possibility that an inmate could leave prison, find employment, gain self worth and not come back to prison is our goal.

Debbie Ressler, START instructor
E. C. Brooks Correctional Facility, Muskegon, Michigan 

The addition of the START program to Exodus' Refugee employment program is awesome. Having a more targeted hospitality training program gives their clients a heads-up about what they will be encountering on the job at the hotel. It will help facilitate my training process that they will have this introduction to the job.

Carlos Burgos, Director of Style
Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel, Carmel, Indiana 

Hires graduates from the START program at Exodus Refugee Immigration in Indianapolis, Indiana, to staff hotel's housekeeping department 

Of the students in the inaugural class of the Skills, Tasks, And Results Training (START) workforce development program offered through the Human Resource Development division of Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina, 85% of students quickly found jobs after graduation. One graduate was hired as an assistant general manager, while another found a placement as a night auditor. Others found work in food and beverage, room service, and front office positions.

Samir Pawa, Hospitality Instructor
Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, North Carolina 

This certification is the hospitality industry's gold standard, showing they completed the 180-hour course, with a score of 70 percent or better. The objective is to make these women more marketable and to give them skills to assist them in re-entering the workforce.

Alianna Timmins, START Instructor
Swananoa Correctional Center for Women

Joint program of the Department of Corrections and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College 

Recently, the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association partnered with the City of Denver on an important initiative to train displaced workers for careers in the hospitality industry. CH&LA is pleased to report that 74% of our students were placed in jobs immediately after completing the AHLEI training program.

Stephanie Van Cleave, Deputy Director
Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association, Denver, Colorado 

We recently introduced the START Program at Hillsborough Community College for the first time in late 2011. Of the students that completed the class, 62% have secured positions in the industry within 30 days of the final exam. What started out as just teaching a class has shown me that what we are really doing is changing lives with this program. We look forward to teaching our next batch of students in 2012.

Diane Ginsberg, Instructor
Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, Florida 

For more information about the START Program, please contact: