Employment agency offers second chances to people with criminal records with new program

Fanshawe and local employment agency team up Fanshawe College works with an employment agency to help people with criminal records find jobs. Jenn Basa reports.

Approximately 3.83 million Canadians have a criminal record, which can make finding a job all that much more difficult. But one employment agency is trying to change that by giving people a second chance.

Calibre Recruitment, an employment agency in London, Ont., is trying to help people with criminal records find a job placement through their new Bridging the Skills Gap project.

After receiving $590,000 from the Skills Development Fund, the agency created a job training and career-coaching program for those with criminal records who’ve committed non-violent offences.

“For many years we’ve experienced candidates with criminal backgrounds and they haven’t been able to secure employment and on the same token we’ve had employers with openings that they haven’t been able to fill,” said Bonnie Macklin, president & director of recruitment solutions. “We wanted to be a solution to that particular issue.”

Calibre has since partnered with Fanshawe College’s corporate training solutions division to offer job training to people with criminal records.

Calibre plans to help place candidates in industries involving food and beverage processing, hospitality, and manufacturing.

“We understand that every case is different and unique,” said Tracy Bolton, vice-president of Calibre. “We want to help connect with people that have minor offences, or a blip on their record.”

Throughout their work at the agency, Tolton and Macklin have found the majority of people with a criminal record won’t apply to jobs due to fear of being turned away.

“We also want to work with employers and help to change their mindset to start looking at these candidates because it shouldn’t define them,” Tolton added.

According to Public Safety Canada, nearly one-million people in Ontario have a criminal record, leaving even non-violent offenders at a higher risk for poverty and barriers to employment.

While Canada faces a serious labour shortage, Calibre is encouraging businesses to not overlook these candidates.

The recruitment for this program begins June 15 and the first training cohort will begin in September, Macklin said.