The brand-new “Get to Work” show on Sundance offers a behind-the-scenes look at the STRIVE program, a sort of career boot camp targeted at chronically unemployed Americans like drug addicts, ex-cons, the working poor, the homeless and the welfare dependent. Sundance describes the program as “an unfiltered, uncompromising look at the work of Second Chance in San Diego and the STRIVE program, a workforce training model dedicated to getting America back to work.”
The STRIVE program was founded in Harlem, New York and now has outposts all over the U.S. and U.K.; Sundance producers picked the San Diego branch due to its diverse client base. Instructors coach participants on stress management, punctuality and staying sober — basics that can keep them employed long enough to learn on-the-job skills.
“We went into this and shot it as a documentary,” showrunner Jeff Grogan told Fast Company. Grogan has previously worked on shows like “Intervention” and “Relapse,” so he’s no stranger to hard-hitting unscripted shows. “We wanted to show that not everyone does make it, that some people aren’t ready to make a change in their lives.”
See the trailer for the “Get to Work” show below. What do you think about this view of joblessness?
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