“We’ve seen that traditional models of post-education don’t work for everyone,” Smith said. “We need to learn how to help people who don’t have vocational training sustain themselves. Being able to create a well-trained workforce is good for Illinois.”
For Pitts, a crucial part of the training is teaching self-respect to prevent destructive behaviors.
“Every man wants respect,” he said. “I want to instill in them that it’s better to put yourself in a position where respect is earned. You don’t have to be tough; you don’t have to draw pistols to make someone respect you. You can do something in 10 minutes that it can take the rest of your life to get out of. And you don’t have to make someone respect you. All you can control is how you respond.”
Pitts hopes that the outcome of his program extends beyond his trainees to their families, potentially changing the path of future generations as children see their parents build things and succeed.
“I don’t want to look at what you’ve done,” Pitts said. “I want to look at you as a person with potential and where you want to go from here. We’ll change the mindset of these people and give them new options. A lot of times, we do what we do because it’s all we know. We want to expose them to the potential that’s been lying dormant in their lives.”
By sbjadmin|February 24th, 2017
Springfield Business Journal
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... continued from page 37 Calvin Pitts.
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