Santa Clara County · Reentry & workforce
A trade, a license, and a future restored.
Restored Futures helps people returning from incarceration — whether release is a month away or years behind you — get into paid skilled work: commercial driving, HVAC, and IT, with a navigator who stays with you from the first call through your first year on the job.
No conviction record disqualifies you from talking to us. Bring what you have; we will help you get the rest.
Your pathway in
Pick a pathway that pays.
Commercial driving, HVAC, and IT are our core pathways — and if a different trade is your goal, ask; our partner network reaches further. Each pathway runs with an established training partner, so you learn on real equipment and finish with a credential employers already recognize. We assist with enrollment, funding paperwork, and everything that usually pulls people out mid-course.
CDL Class A
Commercial driver training toward a Class A license — the fastest route from release to a wage that supports a household.
- Partner
- MTS Training Academy
- Ends with
- Class A commercial driver's license
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and refrigeration fundamentals with hands-on shop time, leading into service technician roles and apprenticeships.
- Partner
- JobTrain
- Ends with
- HVAC certificate and EPA 608 preparation
IT support
Help desk and technical support training for people who want to work indoors and grow into networking, security, or systems work.
- Partner
- JobTrain & Love Never Fails
- Ends with
- Industry certification and placement support
Reentry navigation
Training is the easy part.
Most people don't wash out of a trade program because the work is too hard. They wash out because a bus doesn't run, an ID never came, a court date lands on exam day, or nobody warned them the first paycheck is three weeks out.
A navigator's job is to see those things coming and help clear them before they cost you the program. It's also why participants receive a stipend while they train — so the math of showing up actually works.
- 01 A stipend for up to 12 months while you're in training and following program guidelines
- 02 Identification, birth certificates, and record cleanup
- 03 Transportation to class and to job sites
- 04 Housing — a limited number of beds for up to six months, plus sober living referrals
- 05 Court, probation, and parole date coordination
- 06 Work clothes, boots, tools, and testing fees
- 07 Interview preparation and talking about your record
- 08 Ongoing check-ins throughout your first year on the job
Who we work with
We connect what already works.
Santa Clara County has strong training providers and real reentry infrastructure. Restored Futures connects them to the people who keep falling through the gaps between them.
- Workforce board
- Work2Future — the City of San José’s workforce development board
- County
- Santa Clara County Department of Reentry and Diversion Services
- Sheriff
- Restorative Services Division, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
- Training
- MTS Training Academy — commercial driver training
- Training
- JobTrain — HVAC and IT pathways
- Training
- Love Never Fails — IT pathways via ITbiz Tech Academy
- Referrals
- Sober living operators, reentry housing, and county probation
Call. That's the whole first step.
If you're coming home soon, already out, or supporting someone who is — reach out. If we aren't the right fit, we'll tell you who is.