HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — RecoveryWorks, a Robert C. Byrd Institute initiative to provide industry training and manufacturing job opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals affected by the opioid epidemic, will launch a new class June 8 in Huntington.

The free four-week educational program is open to individuals in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky who are interested in exploring career opportunities in manufacturing. Classes will run 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., Wednesday through Friday.

Participants will receive:

• Hands-on machinist training in the operation of computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) mills and lathes, coupled with classroom and online instruction in blueprint reading, mathematics, precision measurement, computer-aided design and safety.

• An $8-per-hour stipend upon completion of the program. Funding also is available to assist with travel.

• Peer counseling to support emotional development, especially as it relates to maintaining sobriety or dealing with family and friends struggling with addiction.

• Soft-skills education to advance recovery and prepare trainees to re-enter the workforce. This includes resume writing, job interview preparation and time-management skills development.

“RecoveryWorks provides a structured pathway for workforce re-entry,” said Carol Howerton, RCBI senior strategic advisor for workforce development. “Participants must be affected by the opioid epidemic in some way, either in recovery themselves or dealing with or having dealt with family or friends struggling with substance use disorder.”

RCBI partners with support organizations and private industry to deliver a holistic approach that better prepares individuals for finding and maintaining a job, Howerton said. Marshall University’s Creating Opportunities for Recovery

Employment (CORE) program and Catholic Charities West Virginia help identify candidates for the program and provide counseling and soft-skills training.

For more information or to apply, contact RCBI’s Jill Goheen at 304-781-1678 or goheen14@rcbi.org.

RecoveryWorks is supported, in part, by a grant from the Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation, a Texas-based philanthropic organization dedicated to improving the social fabric of life by seeking innovative solutions to intractable and persistent problems.