Community partnerships are not always about finding new employees. Many employers collaborate with local nonprofit partners to offer financial counseling, housing, legal aid or other support that can impact personal and professional success.

In addition to working with reentry and workforce partners to refer and support candidates, employers can develop a range of creative staffing and talent collaborations. Second Chance companies can work with transitional work programs, which place jobseekers on the worksite to gain experience and on-the-job training while contributing directly to employers. They can work with staffing agencies that focus on recruiting and preparing candidates with criminal records, and serve as the employer of record during temporary work assignments. In many states and counties, employers can serve as a host site for workrelease programs, which offer job opportunities to currently incarcerated candidates — typically as they are approaching their release date.

The Connecticut Department of Correction has a wide ranging, robust series of Employment Preparation Programs, … community ties and stable employment.

Community partnerships are not always about finding new employees. Many employers collaborate with local nonprofit partners to offer financial counseling, housing, legal aid or other support that can impact personal and professional success. While some of these organizations may focus specifically on employees with criminal records, others may be a resource for a much broader cross-section of the workforce.