Cheers to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Mayor Bill Peduto for pressing the region’s business community to open doors to re-entering citizens (“Public, Community Leaders Urge Employers to Give Ex-Inmates a Chance,” Oct. 25).
Engaging this pool of talent not only benefits families and communities, it’s smart business. Employers who hire ex-offenders can access tax credits and tap into a motivated, skilled and supervised group eager to prove themselves in the workplace.
Preparing workers and breaking barriers to employment are critical to our work at Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board. We partner with a number of organizations on initiatives aimed to remove obstacles. Among them is Training2Work, a program not only to connect 170 adults with job opportunities, but also to help them succeed with a host of wraparound services. This initiative kicks off in earnest in 2017.
Next month, with the Duquesne University School of Law, Allegheny County Bar Association, PA CareerLink and others, we will recognize the enactment of a new Pennsylvania law that will allow some job seekers with certain misdemeanor convictions to ask the courts to seal their records. A sealed record would not be available to employers or the public. Common offenses that could be eligible include drug possession, DUI, minor theft, prostitution and disorderly conduct.
To mark the enactment, we will host Allegheny County Expungement Day on Nov. 14 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the City-County Building, 414 Grant St. Some job seekers could have records sealed at no cost; all job seekers can speak with an attorney and immediately access a host of jobs offered through the public workforce system.
Kudos to our community leaders for sharing this critical message — everyone deserves a second chance and an opportunity to thrive.
STEFANI PASHMAN
CEO
Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board
Downtown
First Published: October 30, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
