WILMINGTON, DE, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Second Chance Employment Collaborative is an initiative launched with anchor funding from JPMorgan Chase that connects justice-involved citizens with stable career pathways in high-growth sectors such as banking, IT, and healthcare. Today, the collaborative announced the first in a series of Employment and Expungement Expos aimed at providing justice involved citizens with much needed resources and opportunities.

The event will be held October 16th from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m at the HOPE Commission, 38 Vandever Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19802.

“We are here to meet the needs of our members, their families and the community. We cannot achieve safer neighborhoods without expanding housing, employment and opportunity. That is the only way we can #SpreadHOPE.” -Darius Brown, Executive Director, HOPE Commission

“Delawareans with criminal records who’ve paid their debt to society, still experience consequences for being justice involved. That rap sheet continuously creates barriers” said Renata B. Kowalczyk, CEO of Wilmington Alliance. “They are needlessly shut out from accessing sustainable employment to support themselves and their families. Meanwhile, many employers in our state are growing rapidly and in need of qualified talent. Hosting events such as this one is the first step in eliminating those barriers.”

The expo will feature workforce partners from throughout Wilmington who will be available to provide career development, job training, and job placement resources. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from Delaware Volunteer Legal Services to learn more about, and potentially begin, their journey to a second chance through expungements, pardons, and FDIC waivers.

“When we think of creating equitable opportunities, far too often returning citizens are being forgotten. Here at NERDiT NOW we have had the opportunity to help not only give opportunities but to provide for their family and their community. And this is thanks to Wilmington Alliance for establishing a network of partners who define their success on true impact for our community! I look forward to watching this network grow for the State of Delaware.” – Markevis Gideon, CEO NERDiT NOW

ABOUT SECOND CHANCES COLLABORATIVE
Working together, the Collaborative brings expertise and dedicated services for justice-involved individuals from end-to-end:
● With its longstanding work in local workforce development, Wilmington Alliance serves as the facilitating agency, helping to connect neighborhoods, businesses, and nonprofits and will engage stakeholders in creating a systemic approach that aligns resources to create accessible pathways and comprehensive support services.

● Delaware Volunteer Legal Services has developed a process for screening individuals for employment eligibility, expungement and sealing of non-convictions and convictions and FDIC waivers. This includes developing trainings, filing petitions, providing representation, and developing a pipeline to workforce training for screened individuals.

● Building on their success and expertise serving individuals navigating reentry and providing training opportunities, the Wilmington HOPE Commission, Peace by Piece, NERDiT NOW, Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware Counties, Project New Start and Delaware Center for Justice have expanded their services to support the training and employment of 100 participants.

Participants will be identified from a network of sources to join the Second Chance Employment Collaborative in their journey toward employment. The participants will then be supported in reaching the next step on their path, whether that’s skills training, apprenticeship, or full-time employment. To stay updated on the progress of the Second Chance Employment Collaborative, please visit www.wilmingtonaliance.org.

Latisha Bracy
Bracy and Associates Integrated Strategies
+1 302-333-8763
email us here

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