MADISON, Wis. — An initiative in Madison is giving Wisconsinites who face employment barriers a leg up on a brighter future.

At Just Bakery, students are learning a lot more than the skills of baking; what they are taking home with them are skills that will last a lifetime. 

Just looking at the strawberry cheesecake bars that baking instructor Justin Labbe's whipping up is enough to make your mouth water.

Labbe has always had a passion for cooking, but his love of baking began a little over two years ago.

"I didn't know what direction to go in life after getting out of prison, I decided to come to just bakery," he says.

After being incarcerated for selling drugs, he was determined to learn new skills and gain the proper certifications needed to turn his life around.

Jaclyn Eitrem helps run Just Bakery, a 12-week intensive educational and vocational training program.  

"I wanted to get involved in a place that worked with people who have been involved in the criminal justice system to help break that cycle so that they can move on and do other things," she says.

Just Bakery started as an employment training program.

"We help students. get the certifications needed to help build up their resume, and then they get the hands-on training in the kitchen here," Eitrem says. "Commercial baking is a pretty open field, so no matter what your background is, no matter what you've experienced in your life or gone through, you can get hired as a baker, which is awesome. and so that's why we initially started with baking."

From 18 to 21 years of age, Zachary Wisniewski was incarcerated for selling drugs. Now 23, he found his calling in the classroom  thanks to Just Bakery.

"I want to help change lives. This is how it helped me and I want to help change lives and do the same for others," says Wisniewski. "That was two years ago and now  I'm about to become the full-time instructor."

This curriculum allows students to earn up to 12 college credits and gain automatic acceptance into the Madison College Culinary Program. All proceeds from just bakery sales are reinvested into the program and have allowed them to hire graduates to work in the program, both on the instructional and production side of the program.