Finding work with a criminal record is fraught – and maintaining employment in complex new circumstances can be even harder.

Yet evidence and experience show us many justice-involved job-seekers are motivated workers, who can make the most of opportunities when given a chance. And employment and training provide the stability, purpose and resources young people need to move away from the criminal justice system and onto a better path.

But how can employers safely and practically manage the opportunity of hiring someone with a criminal record? How can workers support young people to secure and maintain employment or training amid challenging circumstances? And how can we, as a community, meet our responsibility to ensure marginalised young people aren’t left behind?

Justice in Jobs is a free, interactive webinar for youth workers, employers, young people and members of the public who want to gain the insights, knowledge and practical tools needed to help young people engage with training and employment after contact with the justice system.

Our panellists for this webinar are:

Anoushka Jeronimus, Director – YouthLaw Program, WEstjustice
Jesamine Wikaira, Intensive Support Worker, Jesuit Social Services
Rob Auger, Operations Manager – Employment Services, Jesuit Social Services
Cheryle Landolina, Industry Stakeholder Manager – Major Projects and Construction, Jesuit Social Services

Our panellists are highly experienced practitioners and experts in their fields. They’ll speak to:

The practical role of employment and training as a positive pathway to a more stable life away from crime
The experiences of employers in hiring people with criminal records
The systemic and legislative settings that make job-seeking harder after justice involvement, and what can be done
The relational work needed to effectively engage young people and enable them to successfully maintain employment or training
The role of families, workers, peers and whole communities in supporting young people to get on a different path

We’ll hear first-hand from a young job-seeker about their experience, and from an employer who moved from initial reservation to advocating for greater employment of people with criminal records – sharing their stories of scepticism and hope; effort and transformation. We’ll hear our expert panel unpack the systemic challenges young job-seekers face in finding work with a criminal record and maintaining employment during turbulent times – and we’ll learn what we can do as a community to support young people into the work that makes a difference.

About Worth A Second Chance

Worth A Second Chance is a community campaign from Jesuit Social Services fixing youth justice. We believe young people have the capacity to rehabilitate and change the course of their lives, if given the support to do so, and know the importance of training and employment opportunities in realising their potential. Learn more and join the campaign at worthasecondchance.com.au