Dozens of former inmates decked in graduation gowns celebrated a fresh start Friday.

The former inmates enrolled in workforce development programs at the Osborne Association in Morrisania to learn skills and develop connections that can help them land jobs.

Thanks to partnerships with companies in fields like construction, the graduates will have access to opportunities they might otherwise not have had.

"We're providing support for an employment specialist to develop relationships with employers in the construction industry and to do placements of their graduates in that program," says Samantha Franklin, of L+M Partners.