Apply
You do the work.
We do it with you.
Sixteen weeks, full-time, free. A certificate in a real career track, and a Coach who knows your name. Applying takes about ten minutes.
Who we can help
Is this you?
You don’t need a clean record or a college degree. You need to be ready to show up, every day, for 16 weeks.
If one or two of these don’t fit yet, apply anyway. We’ll tell you what would need to change and point you toward help in the meantime.
- 18 to 55 by the time class starts
- A GED or high school diploma
- Legally able and willing to work full-time
- Sober from hard drugs for at least six months
- Stable housing: a roof every night
- Within an hour of 1912 6th Ave, Des Moines
- No open legal case that would conflict
- Coachable: willing to hear hard feedback
Donors and our Business Ventures cover tuition, certification fees, and materials, so you don’t have to.
Weekdays, full-time. This is your job while you’re here. Plus Family Gathering every Monday night, 6 to 8, with dinner.
What happens next
After you hit submit
We call you
Usually within two business days. A short conversation about where you are and what you want.
Information session
Come see the building, meet Coaches, and hear exactly what the 16 weeks look like.
Interview & track
A sit-down with a Coach to choose the career track that actually fits you.
Day one
You start with a cohort that starts with you. Nobody walks in alone.
Pick a direction
Application
Start here
Tell us how to reach you. We’ll follow up with eligibility and the next information session date.
We don’t sell, retain, or distribute personal information. We use it only to check eligibility.
Refer a Leader
Know someone who’s ready?
Caseworkers, pastors, parole officers, family: most of our Leaders come through someone who believed in them first. Send us a name and we’ll take it from there.
Applicant questions
The things people ask first
Do I get paid during the program?
Yes. Leaders earn while they train through our Business Ventures and partner placements. Talk to a Coach about what that looks like for your situation.
I have a felony record. Can I still apply?
Yes. Many of our Leaders come to us out of incarceration. The only hard stops are an open case that would conflict with the program and registry requirements that prevent participation.
What about marijuana?
Acceptance is conditional on being drug-free, including THC, for the full length of the program, with testing. Employers in our tracks require it, so we do too.
I have kids. Is childcare covered?
We work with each Leader on the barriers that would otherwise end this: childcare, transportation, documents. Bring it up in your first call. We’d rather solve it than lose you.
Do I have to be a Christian?
No. Change Course is a faith-rooted organization and we’re open about that. You don’t have to share our faith to be a Leader here, and it will never affect how you’re treated.