Uber and REFORM Alliance partnered on two workforce pilots that connected people on probation and parole to skilled-trades training and career opportunities — helping them build the economic stability that supports stronger families and safer communities.

Through Work Matters, REFORM’s workforce initiative, Uber-funded rides helped participants in Pennsylvania and Virginia reach training, union interviews, apprenticeship exams and other employment appointments. The initiative brings together supervision agencies, workforce organizations, training providers, and employers to connect people to career opportunities and address barriers to participation.

Putting new careers within reach

Uber provided 450 rides across the pilots, helping put new careers within reach. Every graduate of the inaugural cohorts in Richmond, VA, and Pittsburgh, PA, secured full-time employment, nearly all in local unions offering long-term careers with family-sustaining wages, health insurance, and retirement benefits. The majority of those graduates could not have completed the program without transportation assistance.

Across Work Matters training programs, graduates saw their annual incomes increase more than sevenfold on average, from less than $10,000 a year before the program to more than $75,000 after entering the workforce.

Graduates saw their annual incomes increase more than sevenfold on average.

People rebuilding their lives on supervision are often balancing the demands of establishing a stable home, caring for family, and navigating the restrictions that come with probation and/or parole. Without reliable transportation, getting to training or a job interview can be the hardest part of their transition.

The partnership between REFORM and Uber helped close that gap with dependable rides so participants could show up and focus on building skills and securing employment. For Work Matters graduates, those jobs offer more than a paycheck. They provide routine and purpose while helping people build a stable future for themselves and their families, ultimately strengthening communities and public safety.

“When someone comes home, they want the chance to support their family, earn a paycheck and build a life they can be proud of,” said Jessica Jackson, CEO of REFORM Alliance. “But determination alone cannot get you to a training program across town when you have no reliable transportation. We’re grateful to Uber for closing that critical gap and investing in people who are already showing how much they have to contribute to their workplaces and communities. Paired with supervision policies that recognize progress and support employment, that help can turn a second chance into a real path forward.”

“Access to reliable transportation removes a barrier to new opportunities for people working to rebuild their lives,” said Jazmin Kay, Public Affairs at Uber. “Through our partnership with REFORM Alliance, we’re proud to help expand access to employment and training opportunities that support economic empowerment and help people build a more stable future for themselves and their families.”

From training to careers

Alan Green returned to Pittsburgh in January 2025 with two years of probation ahead of him and restitution, fees and everyday expenses to cover. He wanted steady work, but employers turned him away because of his record, leaving him dependent on unpredictable, under-the-table work.

A supportive probation supervisor connected him to Work Matters through Pittsburgh Gateways. There, Alan found instructors who treated him with respect, taught practical construction skills and introduced him to unions. He learned about jobsite safety, construction math and measurements, and developed a particular interest in sheet metal, HVAC and computer-based blueprint design.

Then his mother, who had been paying for his rides, got sick. Alan lost reliable transportation and began walking to class through the Pittsburgh winter. Uber-funded rides helped him keep showing up and focus on the training he needed to build a career.

“Work Matters gave me people who believed in me and a chance to build something for myself,” said Green. “Having a reliable ride meant I could focus on learning instead of worrying about how I was going to get there. Every day I showed up, I felt like I was moving closer to a future I could be proud of.”

Building a future in Richmond

Jonathan Casey was 19 when he returned home from the juvenile justice system in June 2025. Released two years earlier than expected because of good behavior, he still had to figure out where to live and how to support himself.

Without a home plan in place, Jonathan entered an independent living program. As he navigated adult probation in Richmond, he was also trying to find a direction for his future. He enrolled in HVAC classes but struggled to see a clear path from the classroom to a career.

His probation officer encouraged him to apply to Work Matters, and he earned a spot in the inaugural Richmond cohort. The pre-apprenticeship program offered technical training, transportation assistance and instructors who recognized his potential. The Richmond Building and Construction Trades Council connected Jonathan and other graduates to job opportunities in the trades. Reliable Uber rides helped him along the way, ensuring he could get to training, arrive on time at interviews, and focus on building his future.

Jonathan went on to join Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 10 and begin an apprenticeship working at LEGO facilities. He credits the experience with building his confidence, teaching him patience and perseverance, and giving him a sense of belonging.

“When I came home, I wanted to move forward, but there were so many things I had to figure out,” said Casey. “The Uber rides helped take one of those worries off my shoulders. I knew I could get to training, show up on time and focus on learning. Now I’m in an apprenticeship, building a career and seeing what my future can look like.”

Work Matters brings together supervision agencies, workforce organizations, training providers and employers to connect people to career opportunities and address barriers to participation.

Connecting workforce opportunities with safer supervision

The partnership complements REFORM’s national, bipartisan policy work, which has helped pass 23 bills in 12 states to strengthen public safety by removing barriers to employment and supporting rehabilitation. The goal is to help people succeed through accountability and practical support, recognizing that steady work and economic stability are essential foundations for successful reentry.

In Pennsylvania, REFORM championed Act 44, which establishes a standardized pathway to early termination of probation, including incentives tied to vocational training and education. It also limits incarceration for technical violations — violations of supervision rules that do not involve a new criminal offense — and requires consideration of individual circumstances to advance rehabilitation and promote public safety.

In Virginia, legislation championed by REFORM took effect in July 2026, creating a pathway for eligible people who comply with probation requirements, follow their individualized case plans and pose minimal risk to the community to receive a recommendation for early termination. The reforms explicitly recognize vocational training and employment as signs of successful progress.

The Work Matters pilots complement these policy changes with practical support, bringing businesses, workforce organizations, and supervision agencies together to help people get to training, learn a trade and build a career. These efforts lay the foundation for safer communities and a future beyond supervision.