an overlooked source of talent
Envision Greater Fond du Lac, in partnership with Moraine Park Technical College and the Community Corrections Employment Program (CCEP), a program of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC), will host a free virtual panel discussion entitled Moving From Felony Incarceration to Employment on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. This event aims to educate businesses on the available resources and benefits of hiring an individual with a felony record.
Fond du Lac County is expected to have 34,000 new retirees in the next decade. One creative way to assist in filling this employment gap is to hire those who were formerly incarcerated. At any given time, there are currently more than 1,100 individuals who are on active supervision in Fond du Lac County; 180 offenders were released to Fond du Lac County between July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019 alone; however, only 43% of these individuals were employed within 6 months of release. Additionally, one-fourth of these offenders have at least some college education.
“Businesses seeking qualified job candidates to meet workforce needs should look to the Community Corrections Employment Program,” John Schild, Employment Programs Coordinator, Community Corrections Employment Program, said. “Along with our partners, we assist returning citizens with the support they need to succeed on the job and in the community. Everyone wins!”
Hear from a panel of experts from across Wisconsin as they explain the available tax credits and Fidelity Bonding Insurance available to businesses, as well as the career and technical training and credentialing programs offered the Wisconsin Technical College System.
“As the first event of its kind hosted by Envision Greater Fond du Lac, we truly believe this event, with its expert panel, brings value to our business community,” James Cleveland, Vice President for Economic Development, said. “Our goal is to initiate this conversation with local businesses and share with them resources and data to encourage them to consider hiring individuals who have been incarcerated as a way to address impending workforce shortages.”
The expert panel consists of Mary Davies, Associate Dean of Economic and Workforce Development, Moraine Park Technical College, John Schild, Employment Programs Coordinator, Department of Corrections, and Rodney Owens, Employment Coordinator, Department of Corrections. The event will be moderated by Jo Ann Hall, Dean of Economic and Workforce Development, Moraine Park Technical College, with opening remarks from Wisconsin State Assembly Representative Michael Schraa.
To learn more and register for this event, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moving-from-felony-incarceration-to-employment-tickets-116226918843.
To learn more about Envision Greater Fond du Lac, please visit envisiongreaterfdl.com.