CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At the Work It Charlotte job fair, there’s no shortage of high-paying opportunities.
What makes the event unique is that nearly half the prospective companies are second-chance employers, meaning they’ll hire someone with a criminal record.
The job fair is hosted by the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s Unified Workforce Development and Reentry Partners every four to six weeks.
“Employment is one of the top insulators against reoffending and committing more crime,” said Hope Marshall, with Mecklenburg County’s reentry services.
Advocates with the city and county say nearly 70% of prisoners are arrested again within three years of their release.
However, that number drops significantly if they can land a job and keep it.
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It is a difficult task, considering the unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people is more than 27%, compared to 3.5% for people who don’t have a record, according to the prison policy initiative.
Just 10 to 15 years ago there weren’t opportunities for people with criminal records like the Work It Charlotte job fair.
Now, employers have realized an untapped workforce.
“Your past can follow you. I was 15 breaking into cars, stuff like that,” said Tairmi Thorne.
Thorne said he’s thankful the stigma is slowly disappearing around formerly incarcerated people.
“You can come get a job directly on the spot,” he said.
Channel 9’s cameras were rolling when a company offered Thorne a position.
The county connects people like him to other resources for food and housing to make sure they have the best chance at success.
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“To give people hope that they can make it, that they can survive and financially be able to take care of their family,” said Traletta Banks, with the Center for Community Transitions.
Reentry Partners provides employment coaching, planning and placement, as well as case management services, for thousands of recently incarcerated individuals.
Unified Workforce Development assists those already in county programs like Social Services and community support services improve their job skills and employment prospects.
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