A new workforce initiative by Rasa Legal, UWIT, and the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation provides pre-apprenticeship training and legal support to help justice-impacted individuals secure careers in the trades.
Salt Lake City, UT – March 12, 2025
In a significant step toward expanding access to high-paying, stable careers in the trades, Rasa Legal, Utah Women in Trades (UWIT), and the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking workforce development initiative. Supported by a $20,000 grant from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, this collaboration will provide pre-apprenticeship training, employment pathways, and critical legal support to justice-impacted individuals facing barriers to entering the workforce.
Through this initiative, UWIT will create a dedicated cohort of justice-impacted individuals to participate in its Apprenticeship Readiness Program (ARP), a 12 to 15-week pre-apprenticeship course. The program equips participants with hands-on training, industry certifications, and direct connections to local labor unions and employers. To further support participants, Rasa Legal will provide access to record clearance services, helping them overcome legal barriers that often prevent them from securing career-line work.
For the nearly one in four Utahns with a criminal record, finding stable, well-paying jobs remains a significant challenge, even when they possess the skills and drive to succeed. Many employers conduct background checks, and individuals with records—no matter how old or minor—are often disqualified from career opportunities. By combining pre-apprenticeship training with legal support, this initiative ensures that past mistakes do not define an individual’s future.
“With this partnership, we are removing unnecessary roadblocks that keep talented individuals from accessing skills, training, and solid careers in the trades,” said Noella Sudbury, CEO and Founder of Rasa Legal. “By providing both record clearance and career training, we’re giving justice-impacted individuals a real chance at success.”
UWIT’s Apprenticeship Readiness Program prepares participants for careers in skilled trades such as plumbing, HVAC, electrical work, and ironworking. Thanks to funding from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, individuals in this cohort will receive:
"This partnership embodies our mission at UWIT—to open doors for individuals who may have been overlooked by traditional workforce pathways,” said Concetta Defa, President of UWIT. “By providing both training and legal support, we are not only empowering individuals but also strengthening Utah’s workforce.”
The skilled trades industry is facing a labor shortage, with thousands of open positions in Utah alone. At the same time, justice-impacted individuals represent a highly motivated, untapped workforce. Investing in second chances benefits not only these individuals but also employers and the broader economy.
“The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation is excited to support this program that will help prepare students for careers in the trades,” said Dick Garlish, Director of the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation and President of Rocky Mountain Power. “Local industry needs skilled workers, and this partnership is a fantastic way to bring these opportunities to the community.”
This initiative is just the beginning. Rasa Legal and UWIT aim to expand this model in the future, ensuring that more justice-impacted individuals have access to training, record clearance, and high-paying career opportunities in the trades.
Individuals with criminal records who are interested in applying for the Apprenticeship Readiness Program can visit rasa-legal.com/uwit.
Rasa Legal is a mission-driven legal tech company dedicated to making criminal record clearance simple and affordable. Through innovative technology, Rasa provides record expungement, sealing, and rights restoration services, helping individuals move forward with better access to jobs, housing, and economic opportunity.
Founded in 2010, Utah Women in Trades (UWIT) is committed to increasing the number of women and allies in non-traditional building and construction trades through apprenticeship programs, mentorship, and advocacy.
The PacifiCorp Foundation, doing business as the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, is one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created by PacifiCorp, an energy company that serves over 2 million customers across a diverse six-state region as Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho) and as Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power. Since it started in 1988, the PacifiCorp Foundation has awarded more than $77 million to nonprofit organizations.