Phase Three — Renewed Ambition 101 · Module 19 of 24 · 90 minutes
Building toward a career, not just a job.
What you will be able to do
- Identify education, certification, or training pathways relevant to your goals.
- Understand the difference between a job that pays the bills and a career pathway.
- Build a first step toward one specific pathway.
Why this matters
A job gets you moving. A pathway gets you somewhere specific. This module is about looking past the next paycheck toward the next five years.
Reality check: Credentialing, certification, and education access for justice-involved individuals has real, practical differences depending on the field — some paths are wide open, others require specific navigation. Get real information, not assumptions, about the field you’re interested in.
Activity
Pathway Research — research one education, certification, or training pathway and identify the first concrete step (an application, an info session, a contact).
Scenario
A resident stays in a job that pays the bills for years without realizing a nearby program could have moved them into a career with better pay and more stability. Knowing the pathway existed was the missing piece, not ability.
What would you do first?
Reflection
- What’s one career pathway you want to know more about?
- What’s stopped you from pursuing it before, and is that still true now?
My action plan (pick at least one)
- Research one education or certification pathway relevant to your goals.
- Identify the first concrete step toward it.
- Take that first step within 30 days.
Resources
- Local community college reentry / second-chance programs
- Renewed Ambition Peer Support Specialist Certification
- Trade apprenticeship programs (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, culinary)
Completion checklist
- ☐ I’ve identified an education or career pathway I want to pursue.
- ☐ I know the first concrete step to take toward it.
- ☐ I’ve taken that first step.
Milestone: One concrete step has been taken toward an identified education or career pathway.
Tip: use your browser’s Print button to print this page or save it as a PDF. Your answers are private — bring this sheet to class or share only what you choose.
Mark this module complete
Submit this short check-in so Renewed Ambition can track your progress toward your certificate.