UC Forum To Connect Employers With Employees In Need Of Second Chance

A forum is set to help employers in need of employees see that citizens who’ve been in the criminal justice system could make the best hires.

The forum is set for Monday from 1:00 PM-2:30 PM in Cookeville at 1000 England Drive Suite 201.

Becky Hull is Executive Director of the Upper Cumberland Local Workforce Development Board and Bill Gibson serves as Director for Power of Putnam.

Gibson said due to stigmas attached to a criminal background, it can be hard for these men and women to get through the door. Gibson said with so many employers in need to fill their staff, giving these people a second chance can pay off.

“History has shown us that they can make some of the best and most loyal employees that a company can have,” Gibson said. “So the point is they shouldn’t be excluded from consideration just because of that.”

Hull said that many employers can be fearful of giving someone with a criminal history a second chance. Hull said a speech by the Governor helped her clear this hurdle of believing in what these people can contribute.

“He talked about how would you like to be held responsible for one mistake you made for the entirety of you life,” Hull said. “So many individuals fall within that, they made a mistake. They’re not those quote unquote hardened criminals, they’re just somebody that made a mistake. So that’s going to follow them for the rest of their life and we hope to be able to get those folks back to being productive, active member of society and working in some of these companies.”

Gibson said he has worked around these type of situations in various capacities his whole career. He said that more now than ever, people are gripped by drug addiction. He said this has led to many good people becoming a part of the criminal justice system.

“If somebody can fight their way out of addiction, they can certainly fight their way into being excellent employees,” Gibson said. “One thing that we don’t really pay attention to sometimes, even people that are on probation. People are needing employment that are under supervision and the employer has some backup. Somebody just coming in off the street, you don’t know what they’re doing but if somebody’s on probation they’re being tested. They’re being monitored, they’re having to meet certain criteria.”

Any business owner or human resources employee in the Upper Cumberland is invited to attend. Attendance is not a commitment to hire, but it is a chance to understand what these men and women could contribute as employees.