NJ 'reentry' conference offers guidance, job fair for those seeking a second chance

Incarcerated people seeking employment after serving their time find it far more difficult to land a job. A federal report last year found that a third of 50,000 people released from federal prisons were unemployed for over four years after release.

The New Jersey Reentry Corporation, a nonprofit that helps people previously incarcerated to find jobs and housing, will be doing its part to reverse that trend Thursday at its annual conference in Jersey City.

The conference at St. Peter's University, titled “Training for the Dignity of Work," focuses on the importance of learning skills to earn industry credentials, said Jim McGreevey, the former New Jersey governor who founded the corporation. The NJRC also trains military veterans and those in drug and alcohol recovery.

The free, daylong event will also offer a job fair with more than 50 prospective employers, including Amazon and Wakefern Food Corp. More than 800 people are registered to attend.

The conference, with an all-star lineup of political and community leaders, is intended to promote training and hiring of the formerly incarcerated among New Jersey businesses and to spotlight the stories of those who have already made the transition. Registration is still open through the corporation's website.

Whether they're returning from combat, addiction treatment or incarceration, "one of the most critical factors" standing in the way of such applicants is the need for an "industry-recognized credential," said McGreevey, who is also the group's chairman. "That's a fancy term for saying skills that are certified by a training provider."

Some of those skills include HVAC installation, phlebotomy and computer network installation. The corporation's Governor's Reentry Training & Employment Center in Kearny offers such training. McGreevey said 92% of the people taught at the center go on to find employment.

The conference will feature speakers including civil rights leader and MSNBC host Al Sharpton, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh discussing reentry and job training.

Also speaking will be Paterson resident Kaiyah Thompson.

Thompson, who soon will finish a three-month training program in phlebotomy, the process of drawing blood, was once in recovery for alcohol addiction. She's not the only one the program has helped, she said: Her mother is also enrolled at the center.

"My mom is also in recovery. She needs a GED so she is able to take a GED class. She needs help with her computer skills, so she's doing that," Thompson said. The reentry program "gave me a straight shot in that I don't have to go to a bunch of different campuses, admissions and funding. They took care of all of that."

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Thompson said she is unemployed at the moment but is hoping to line up a job after she graduates, to support herself and her 18-month-old son.

While the event will be happening on the sixth floor of the university's Mac Mahon Student Center, there will be a job fair on the third floor for attendees who are graduates of the corporation's training programs, said NJRC's director of employment, Cynthia Rojas.

Rojas said she is looking forward to seeing the NJRC clients meeting with prospective employers.

"I want them to take away the confidence in knowing there is hope for them to have employment and career opportunities with so many employers, and being given second chances," Rojas said.

Ricardo Kaulessar is a culture reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Region How We Live team. For unlimited access to the most important news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Twitter: @ricardokaul

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ reentry event offers training, job fair for ex-prisoners, veterans