Job Club: Identifying and Creating Career Paths for Probationers

Go Back

10:00 am - 10:45 am

---

Evidence shows that employment directly contributes to the reduction of recidivism, so job-related services are an important aspect of community supervision. In this workshop, attendees will learn about the Making Real Changes Job Club in Essex County, Massachusetts--a collaboration between the county’s probation department and the North Shore Career Center that has functioned successfully for five years. Through direct referrals and partnerships with various agencies and local employers, the job club has led to numerous District and Superior Court probationers completing the nine-week class and moving on to meaningful employment. Session attendees will learn the processes involved in arranging for probationers to enter and complete the program. They will be given a job club syllabus and an overview of how the job club is structured to help probationers identify barriers to employment, identify skills and interests, develop and create a resume, research the local labor market, and intensely work on their interview skills. It is expected that probationers completing job club will be ready and prepared to enter the work force. The program has a 62% completion rate, and probationers who complete the course often go on to meaningful jobs with potential for career development. Plans are underway to potentially expand and/or copy the job club model, perhaps throughout Massachusetts.