People in prison or jail who want to get a head start on their job search have a new way to do it. They can access the Honest Jobs employment platform on either ViaPath Inspire or Securus tablets.
Although they can’t apply for jobs, individuals who are incarcerate can study the job market in the destination where they want to live after release.
“They can search for jobs and identify employers who are using Honest Jobs in their home towns. They can see which jobs are available,” says Harley Blakeman, Honest Job’s founder and CEO. “It’s a chance to study what’s out there, so they can best utilize their time while they are in.” They can also determine what’s required for the type of job they’re interested in and may be able to use that info to upgrade their skills and knowledge while incarcerated.
The application developed by Honest Jobs incorporates a unique interface that gives users information relative to those affected by the criminal justice system. This includes what it calls ConflixAI scores, which color codes each job opportunity with a score for its compatibility with the job seeker’s individual record. In addition, employers receive fair-chance badges that indicate the number of verified hires they have made through Honest Jos.
Viapath first to launch Honest Jobs employment platform
Viapath Technologies, formerly GTL, announced its partnership with Honest Jobs in the fall of last year.
“We’ve been on the ViaPath Inspire tablet for six months. And Honest Jobs is now on 120,000 tablets in over 200 facilities,” says Blakeman
Access to the Honest Jobs employment platform enhances what ViaPath, a company that provides access to education and technology to incarcerated individuals, has to offer.“
Honest Jobs is now on 120,000 tablets in over 200 facilities.
Harvey Blakeman
An important component of successful reintegration and reducing recidivism is ensuring that incarcerated individuals have the skills and opportunities to find good paying and rewarding jobs,” said Deb Alderson, CEO of ViaPath Technologies. “ViaPath is proud to be working with Honest Jobs, an industry leader in second chance hiring which has demonstrated a proven track record of success for thousands of individuals deserving of a second chance.”
Securus Technologies follows suit
Securus Technologies now offers the Honest Jobs employment platform on its tablets in a partnership announced in February. According to Blakeman, the company is currently piloting the project at three locations in Texas and will expand to other locations later this year.
“A successful reentry is dependent on securing employment, and the Securus tablets will put the Honest Jobs platform in the hands of hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people across the country who can use our tools to turn their lives around. We can’t do it alone, which is why this partnership is so important,” said Blakeman when the partnership was announced.
What it means for Honest Jobs
These two partnerships are important for Honest Jobs as it continues to build its platform.
“We don’t get paid anything. It’s in the agreement that no one will pay for this,” says Blakeman. “The benefit for us is that we get more job seekers coming to us looking for jobs. And the more job seekers who come looking for jobs, the more likely large corporations will come to us looking for employees. Employers won’t post with us if they post and don’t get applications. We’re getting a lot of job seekers through these partnerships so more and more companies are coming to us as well.”
Since it was founded in. 2018, Honest Jobs has helped more than 50,000 formerly incarcerated job seekers find employment, according to Blakeman. It now has 1,200 companies, mostly small and medium-sized, working with them, as well as about a dozen big companies, a number Blakeman wants to increase.
“A lot of Fortune 500 companies want to do it, but they don’t know how. They’re trying to figure it out,” he says.
Editor’s note: Although Fortune 500 companies are major employers, by percentage, small businesses generate the most new hires. And when it comes to career growth opportunities, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Here’s some interesting research that offers a number of reasons that supports the benefits of working for a small business over a large one. There can obviously be pros and cons with both. And, for an individual, what size company is better to work for may be primarily based on one’s personal preference and objectives now and for the future.
