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HIring Ex-Convicts

    Gettin Talent Back to Work Initiative Update

    The HRA Board of Directors has recently agreed to commit the chapter to support SHRM’s “Getting Talent Back to Work” initiative .  This is an effort established by the SHRM Board in conjunction with the White House’s criminal justice reform efforts and is designed to assist men and women who have been released from prison to re-enter society and to find gainful employment.

    Despite the growing needs of US employers to find capable workers, applicants with a criminal record face significant obstacles in obtaining employment.  In response, SHRM has created a toolkit to assist employers in addressing these hurdles and to open-up this segment of the population as a viable source of productive employees.  You can view this toolkit and find additional information on this topic at:  www.gettingtalentbacktowork.org  

    To further HRA’s commitment, the Board has agreed to partner with the South Jersey Community Reentry Coalition(SJCRC)  www.snjreentry.org .  This as a local volunteer task force whose mission is to promote safe and healthy communities through awareness, advocacy and collaborative efforts that will enhance opportunities for ex-offenders to become law-abiding, self-sufficient members of society.  The SJCRC has members from various government agencies such as parole, corrections, probation, drug court, and other supervising agencies.  It also includes members from social service and human services agencies, members of law enforcement, representatives from faith-based groups, civic groups, charitable organizations, and representatives of the Department of Labor. 

    HRA will now be a member of that group and will plan on having representation at their meetings.  We anticipate that this partnership will benefit our membership by providing information and local resources to supplement the toolkit in order to provide access to a talent pool that has long been overlooked.  For more information contact members of our Workforce Development Committee:  Chairs – John H Knoop, Jr., SPHR, SHRM-SCP and Melissa Ulrich-Doughty