Those looking for a job doing something that improves the environment, helps people save money and won’t be outsourced to India might want to consider learning how to repair shoes. Particularly in these recessionary times when people want to […]
Prison Toastmasters clubs teach skills useful for job search
Although programs of various types exist in prisons across the country, those operated by Toastmasters International have proved particularly successful. Toastmasters volunteers across the nation have taught inmates speaking, leadership and organizational skills and instilled the type of confidence that […]
Tattoo removal can be first step in ensuring job search success
Remove those tattoos, and your chances of finding a job will be dramatically increased. In fact, Father Boyle, who founded Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, said the greatest impediment that those with tattoos face in their job search is the […]
Struggle to restore federal Pell Grants to inmates continues
While giving inmates access to higher education should be a no brainer, it’s become an uphill battle. Take, for example, the struggle to restore Pell Grants to those in prison. Before 1995, prisoners had access to Pell Grants, federal financial […]
LinkedIn group debates effectiveness of using employer hiring lists
A recent lively discussion on LinkedIn’s Ex-Felon’s Employment Resource group brings up the issue of the validity of lists, in this case Ranker.com’s List of Employers Who Hire Felons. The discussion was launched when a member who works for Goodwill […]
Comedy fosters confidence, helps inmates deal with stress
It may not be the sound one would expect to hear in a correctional facility. But on a September weekend the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, Calif. was filled with laughter, as the inmates learned the art of performing […]
Building boats helps youth offenders build confidence and job skills
An innovative wooden boatbuilding program in Alexandria, Va. helps young people, many of whom have been incarcerated, gain the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to prepare them for employment. Operated by the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, the program offers paid apprenticeships […]
Blackstone helps inmates prepare for a legal career while in prison
Ambitious inmates who want to lay the groundwork for employment after release might want to consider studying a paralegal course. And they won’t be alone. They will join Fabian Ruiz – who we profiled October 31 and who now works […]
Using customer service skills to promote job retention
While looking at the idea of customer service as a means of promoting job retention may on the surface be a rather unusual tactic, it works, according to Sandra Velasquez, vocational services supervisor at the Weingart Center in Los Angeles. […]
Free Minds Book Club opens doors for young ex-offenders
A unique Washington, D.C. nonprofit, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, not only inspires young inmates by engaging them through reading and writing. but helps them get their lives together and find employment after being released from prison. For […]