From Reentry to Rewarding Careers: How a CDL Program is Driving Second Chances
April 2, 2025Public-Private Innovation: NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice & Emerge Career Leverage Tech to Power CDL Pilot, and Job Training to Power Second Chances
Initiative exemplifies New York City’s commitment to creating an upstream solution to several downstream problems – unemployment, recidivism, and labor shortages – one trucking job at a time.
David (left) and Andrew (right) have earned their CDL’s and secured high-paying jobs through the Emerge Career program, making over $80,000 annually.
NEW YORK – At 30, David, a Bronx native, found himself at a crossroads. After three years of probation, he knew second chances weren’t easy to come by. Now that he had a young daughter to provide for, the weight of his choices felt heavier than ever. He was determined to build something better — for her, himself, and his future.
At 32, Andrew, a Harlem native, had just reentered society post-incarceration and began the process of rebuilding his life. Andrew is a resident at a transitional housing site operated by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), in partnership with leading providers in the field– The Fortune Society, HousingPlus and Housing Works. Like David, he knew real change was possible with the right opportunity.
MOCJ believes everyone deserves a safe place to live, as providing people with a justice background a safe landing through stable housing and employment opportunities is just the beginning of a new journey.
Determined to take the reins of their futures, Andrew and David both applied to MOCJ’s new commercial driver’s license (CDL) job training program in collaboration with Emerge Career, an innovative workforce development company.
Driving Second Chances: How a CDL Pilot is Changing Lives
In just two months, both men went from post-incarceration uncertainty to CDL licenses – and multiple job offers, with starting salaries between $80,000 and $124,000. As the trucking industry faces hefty labor shortages of 80,000+ drivers – expected to double in five years – some companies are now offering six-figure starting salaries to fill the gap. All it took was the right program to bridge that divide, equipping justice-impacted New Yorkers with in-demand skills and connecting them with eager employers.
What once felt out of reach became reality: stable, high-paying careers that offer more than just a paycheck; but also a fresh start. David and Andrew are a testament to the transformative power of public-private partnerships; that with the right support and innovation, second chances lead to real careers. Their success reflects the early impact of the MOCJ and Emerge Career pilot – transforming reentry through job training, technology, and opportunity.
Public Private Partnership: The Origin of the Pilot Program
Emerge Career was founded by Uzoma “Zo” Orchingwa and Gabe Saruhashi, noted technologists recognized by Time Magazine, MIT Tech Review, and Forbes, for their innovation. One of the company’s strongest supporters is Alexis Ohanian — co-founder of Reddit and founder of venture firm 776 — who has backed Emerge’s mission to use technology to achieve economic empowerment for society’s most disadvantaged.
In 2024, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) – as part of the city’s strategy to safely divert and transition individuals out of corrections custody via new strategies – expanded its investment in reentry workforce development services.
MOCJ’s Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, Samantha Kleinfield, sought a precision employment workforce model that was innovative, transparent, and capable of tracking participants’ progress at every step. Ideally, it needed to be integrated with MOCJ’s network of existing reentry service partners, while also providing real-time metrics to enable continuous program optimization and the capability to bring individualized solutions citywide, for wide-scale replicability.
Kleinfield saw an opportunity in what Emerge Career was doing in other states, to bring a pilot program to NYC. The vision was clear: create a program that could one day serve thousands of justice-involved New Yorkers with a direct path to stable, high-paying careers.
This vision led to the launch of the “MOCJ/Emerge Career Tech-based Reentry CDL Training and Employment Program” in November 2024, a public-private partnership. This first-ever pilot workforce program combines technology-driven vocational training, personalized virtual intensive success coaching (1:1 ratio, daily check-ins), holistic wrap-around services, stipend incentives, financial assistance with paying off fines/fees or transportation, and direct employment placements.
Emerge was tasked to recruit, train and place an initial cohort of 20 justice-involved New Yorkers into Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) careers within a year. Within just two months, all 20 participants were signed up, trained, and had already earned Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLP), with half the group earning full CDLs – and all 20 securing pre-hire job offers from transportation companies – with an average salary of $80,000.
Emerge Career’s extensive network of employer partners enabled it to secure pre-hire offers for the entire first cohort, providing participants with tangible job prospects and job security before completing their training, boosting their confidence, and increasing likelihood of program completion. This program feature highlights the effectiveness of Emerge’s industry-aligned training model and its proven ability to directly connect students to meaningful employment opportunities.
Program outcome snapshot to date.
“This partnership is about harnessing innovation and collaboration to deliver real opportunities for our justice-involved citizens,” Kleinfield said.
“We’re seeing firsthand how technology-driven vocational training, combined with supportive coaching, transparent processes, and direct employment placements, can transform lives and create sustainable careers for disadvantaged New Yorkers.”
Program Launch: Recruitment
Initially, recruitment efforts were limited to MOCJ’s transitional housing partners, ensuring a focused approach to reaching the justice-involved individuals most in need of career support. However, interest in the program quickly exceeded expectations — over 380 justice-involved New Yorkers signed up, demonstrating the urgent demand for reentry solutions that provide economic empowerment.
To recruit participants, Emerge Career typically employs a hybrid approach, combining technology-driven outreach with direct community engagement. However, under MOCJ’s guidance, the pilot program prioritized justice-involved New Yorkers living in MOCJ’s transitional housing units — individuals the city was already investing in by providing temporary housing and now pairing that with jobs for holistic supports.
By empowering participants to secure stable employment and achieve financial independence, the program supports their successful reentry – as well as a pathway to permanent housing and a well-paying job. It also creates a significant cost-saving opportunity for the city by reducing reliance on publicly funded housing and support services.
Technology-Driven Referral System for Service Providers
Emerge Career leveraged its program management platform to create progress-tracking dashboards for each housing unit organization. This tech-enabled approach revolutionized the referral process, allowing case managers at MOCJ partner organizations to seamlessly refer clients to the program with just a few clicks. Case managers could also track real-time participant progress, ensuring better coordination between workforce development and support services. Prospective participants could easily apply in just minutes through Emerge’s website or by scanning a QR code placed on flyers and posters in the housing sites.
Why Case Managers Love the System
Case managers quickly embraced Emerge’s intuitive, data-rich platform because it streamlined collaboration, provided real-time visibility into participant progress, and eliminated manual inefficiencies. Instead of relying on disjointed referrals and sporadic updates, case managers could now monitor each participant’s journey—from enrollment to job placement—through a single, user-friendly interface.
Emerge Partner Referral Dashboard and Tracker
As one case manager, Michael, attested, “Emerge has done an exceptional job assisting our participants. The signup process is super easy, and it honestly really gives participants something to look forward to.”
Hear Michael’s testimonial here.
This level of transparency and integration empowered MOCJ’s network of reentry service providers, enabling them to offer more targeted support while ensuring that workforce development remained at the center of reentry efforts. With Emerge acting as a virtual hub, partner organizations could focus on their areas of expertise — whether it be housing, benefits access, mental health services, expungement, or childcare — while Emerge ensured that employment remained the chief priority of the reentry process.
Hybrid Vocational Training and Success Coaching
Emerge matched participants with success coaches within 24 hours of enrollment in the program. Coaches offer regular personalized support throughout the process and after to help participants navigate training, overcome barriers, and secure long-term employment success.
By prioritizing employment – while addressing individual needs holistically – Emerge Career has ensured participants were not just placed into jobs, but set up for sustainable careers and stable futures.
Virtual Success Coaching feature
Once enrolled, students receive access to the Emerge Career Learning Platform and begin the theory portion of training. Students can do this from anywhere anytime so long as they have a smartphone, tablet, or computer and WiFi access. The platform enables students to learn in a self-paced environment, as the training content consists of interactive videos, simulations, practice quizzes & exams. Students are able to visualize their progress and stay on track using the platform’s intuitive milestone tracking feature.
Justice-involved individuals face a myriad of obligations upon reentry, from mandatory check-ins and court appearances to accessing healthcare, housing and meeting family responsibilities — all while trying to rebuild their lives and secure employment. Emerge Career’s self-paced online training model is uniquely suited to address these challenges, allowing participants to complete coursework at a pace that fits their circumstances, while receiving personalized guidance and support from their Success Coaches every step of the way.
Emerge Career Learning Platform
Upon completing the online theory training and earning their Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), participants transition to in-person, behind-the-wheel training at Emerge’s partner locations across all five boroughs. After several weeks of training, participants build the skills needed to pass the road test with flying colors and obtain their full Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
Program participants receiving behind-the-wheel training
Throughout this process, success coaches continue to guide participants through training, help them field job offers, and facilitate interviews with employers. By the time participants graduate, they aren’t just licensed, but have jobs lined up, ensuring a seamless transition from training to full-time employment.
Breaking the Cycle: Incarceration and Unemployment – to Unstoppable
Research has consistently shown poverty and lack of access to vocational training and education are key drivers of incarceration and recidivism. According to a recent Brookings study, “Work and Opportunity Before and After Incarceration,” 52.7% of incarcerated individuals had no employment and earned $0 in income in the eight years leading up to their incarceration. Just one year prior to incarceration, over 80% were jobless and without income.
A separate study by the U.S. Department of Education found only 7% of incarcerated individuals receive vocational certifications while in prison, and just one-third (33%) report ever having participated in job training. This apparent lack of workforce preparation has devastating long-term effects: in the first full calendar year after release, only 55% of formerly incarcerated individuals report any earnings, with minimal improvement in subsequent years.
In New York City, the numbers are equally stark. Without access to well-paying and career-oriented jobs, justice-involved individuals are often forced back into the same cycles that led to their incarceration.
While many individuals remain unemployed after release, those who receive vocational training and job opportunities are significantly less likely to return to incarceration, highlighting the critical role employment and investing in workforce development plays in reducing recidivism.
The success of David, Andrew, and the other 18 program participants point the way forward: when given the right opportunities and support system, justice-involved individuals will seize them.
674% Return on Investment — For every $1 spent on the program NYC will see a return of $7.74
Since its launch, the MOCJ-Emerge pilot program has successfully trained and secured employment for 100% of participants — proving a technology-driven workforce development approach with tangible employment pathways is part of an optimal reentry model.
Within just a few months, participants earned CDLs and secured high-paying jobs.
New York City currently pays about $556,539 per year or $1,525 per day to incarcerate a single person. Education programs for justice-involved individuals have been found to decrease the odds of recidivating by 43%, translating to a 13-percentage point reduction in recidivism risk. Historically, Emerge Career graduates are even more successful.
Recidivism-related cost savings for the pilot program are projected at approximately $1.447 million based on this 13% reduction. When combined with annual state tax revenues of approximately $101,400 from a class of graduates earning an average salary of $80,000, the program generates a total economic benefit of approximately $1.548 million — yielding a 674% return on investment.
Yet, this program is about more than just jobs and cost savings — it’s about restoring dignity, financial independence, and the belief that a better future is possible.
“Don’t be afraid to take that first step,” participant David said. “This initiative is more than a training program—it’s a lifeline, a community, and a place where second chances turn into success stories.”
You can watch David share his experience in his own words here, and Andrew’s here.
Ready to start your own journey? Apply Today to learn how Emerge Career can help you take the next step. To learn more, contact Samantha Kleinfield, [email protected].
For press, contact MOCJ Press, [email protected].