Finding a job after incarceration is a daunting challenge for many.
A Bureau of Justice Statistics report found that nearly one in three Americans with criminal records say it impedes them from finding meaningful employment.
Second-chance employees can face stigmatization, as well as employer bias in the job market. To combat this, many employers implement second-chance hiring — a practice that’s defined as giving individuals with criminal records a fair and equal opportunity at employment, according to the Society For Human Resource Management.
“We get a lot of people who’ve maybe done something silly in their past,” Brighton Center Business Services Representative Steven Peed said. “It shouldn’t go with you for 10 or 15 years, but sometimes it does. People deserve a second chance.”
With the fall hiring season approaching, many Northern Kentucky employers and nonprofit organizations are collaborating to not only fill hundreds of seasonal job openings but also give a fair shake to individuals seeking employment after being incarcerated.
Next week, the Kentucky Career Center, along with the Brighton Center, is hosting its annual Fall Career Fair to help connect prospective second-chance employees with regional employers. The job fair will be held at the Kentucky Career Center in Florence on Thursday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A subsequent job fair is set to be hosted the following week at the Carrollton branch of Jefferson County Community & Technical College.
Jessica Warner, the workplace learning coordinator at the Brighton Center, told LINK nky that the fair’s organizers are focused on providing affected individuals with the necessary resources they need to find employment.
“From the beginning, a big thing of ours was mapping out which employers are second-chance friendly and where they’re located so that way you can go in with a game plan,” Warner said. “You can feel a little bit more confident because you’re aware that this employer is second-chance friendly.”
Attendees are encouraged to upload their resumes on the event’s landing page to connect them with prospective employers before arrival. If not, attendees can show up with a resume in hand to begin the networking process. A variety of seasonal and permanent roles are available.
“You can just be present and interact,” Warner said, “see if it’s a good culture fit.”
Local employers slated to be in attendance are Citi, Mubea, Pepsi, Arlinghaus Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Verst Logistics, United States Playing Card Company, Darling Ingredients, UPS, Integrated Deicing Services, PROSPECT, Cintas, SP Plus Corporation, Mid-Valley Service and Supply, Flagship, FedEx Ground, Kroger, CVG Airport and The Service Companies.
Peed said that many people can give up on their job search due to some individuals’ wrap sheets and prior negative experiences attempting to find work post-incarceration. Instead, he noted that it was the role of organizations like the Brighton Center to help get them back on their feet.
“It’s that fear of getting shot down and that they’re forever labeled as a problem because something that they’ve done 10 or 15 years ago, and then they get disappointed, and they don’t want to put themselves out there as much,” Peed said. “Now it’s kind of our job to ease them on and say, ‘hey, there are places out there that will hire you. We’ll give you the chance.'”
