Gilead House to host job fair for ex-offenders - Kokomo Tribune
Roughly two-thirds of former inmates released from prison committed a new, serious crime within three years of their release date, a study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found.
Gilead House director of economic services Jenni Mykkanen finds it's no coincidence that other studies have revealed as many as 75 percent of ex-felons are still unemployed after one year of release, and in addition, the latest state numbers show 55 percent of ex-felons are unemployed.
In an attempt to change those statistics locally, the Gilead House created a job fair for ex-offenders in 2014 to help people looking to turn their lives in the right direction.
The first job fair proved to be relatively successful, with 10 employers and approximately 100 patrons taking part.
"Most of the folks I deal with are looking for a second chance," Mykkanen said. "They have paid their debt to society as they have been ordered to do, and they're really coming home trying to rebuild their families."
The ex-offender job fair is back this year, and it's bigger and better. The Gilead House will host more than 20 employers who hire felons Friday in its gym at 406 E. Sycamore St. from 1-5 p.m.
In addition to potential employers, the job fair will feature at least one childcare provider who will offer vouchers for their services.
As a coordinator of Aiming for Success, a 10-week program that aims to equip individuals with skills that will help them land and keep jobs, Mykkanen sees a need in the community for connecting these ex-offenders with employers they may not otherwise know would hire them.
"We work on interviewing skills and resume skills, but we also work on how to be a good employee with soft skills and interpersonal skills that are needed to do well in employment," she said. "There's a great need for things like that."
The Gilead House doesn't have any stats or feedback on how fruitful last year's job fair was for those who attended. So, this year, they've created a survey for attendees, with an agreement they will be contacted in 60 days to see if the job fair led to an employment opportunity.
"We also have a survey for the employer, so that we can really begin to connect with those folks too," Mykkanen added. "We're really very excited because we went out in the community, introducing ourselves, shaking hands and just connecting with members of the community. It's been a great thing."
Mykkanen said there's a variety of employers committed to attend Friday's fair. Along with restaurants, there are retail and construction employers, as well as WorkOne, which works in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to help the unemployed find success in the job market.
"We have a variety, and that was so important to us," Mykkanen added. "We tried to get double-digit hourly income jobs so it wasn't just all low-pay jobs. I'm really excited that WorkOne picked us up. They advertise throughout the state. That was very exciting."
Josh Sigler can be reached at 765-454-8580, by email at josh.sigler@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter @JSig_KT.
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