Fort Dodge’s first Second Chance Job Fair, offering employment opportunities to persons with criminal histories, was held Thursday morning in the Athletics for Education and Success facility at 712 Third St. N.W.

Also referred to as a “workforce connections job fair” or “felon-friendly job fair,” the Second Chance hiring event was sponsored by Iowa WORKS of Fort Dodge in partnership with AFES, the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, and the Iowa Department of Corrections.

Brian Pibal, local career planner for Iowa WORKS, explains that this unique type of job fair is based upon the idea of facilitating the successful re-entry of former convicts into society after serving their prison sentences, and providing them with a viable second chance in life.

“I’ve worked with Iowa WORKS in the re-entry field for many years and I’ve always wanted to bring a true second chance hiring event to the Fort Dodge area; something specifically designed for people who are justice impacted and trying to rebuild their lives,” he said.

To make it happen, Pibal partnered with Murphy Washington of the Fort Dodge Residential Correctional Facility, Charles Clayton of AFES, and Jefferson Fosbender of the Growth Alliance. “Together, we built the concept, the outreach strategy, and the employer lineup,” Pibal said.

Unlike conventional job fairs, this event was “designed specifically to connect local employers with job-ready candidates who have justice-involved backgrounds,” according to Iowa WORKS promotional materials. Prospective employers were encouraged to “keep an open mind” and strengthen their talent pipeline by supporting “community workforce integration.”

In contrast to the normal job application process, participating companies at second-chance job fairs openly promise beforehand to hire individuals with past convictions, looking beyond their criminal history to assess skills and potential.

“Employment is one of the key factors in reducing recidivism and preventing future crime,” Kam Middlebrooks, Iowa state director for REFORM Alliance, said in a statement. “That’s why extending resources and equitable opportunities for quality jobs is fundamental to building safe communities and a thriving economy. Many of these community members can and want to work, but haven’t been exposed to the right opportunities.”

Washington, corrections treatment director of the Fort Dodge Residential Facility, works with former prison inmates and other offenders on a daily basis. Managing a 67-bed community corrections center, he supervises and arranges transitional support for residents.

“We have probationers, parolees, work releases, OWI offenders, and other residents,” he said.

Similar to a halfway house, the Residential Facility focuses on preparing residents for reentry into society. Residents are required to make several prospective job-contacts each day, for example.

“We want to make sure that our guys can be successful in the community,” Washington said.

Even though he has personally witnessed many success stories over the years, he notes that his residents can sometimes become disheartened in their job search, especially when potential employers are unresponsive to their job applications.

“They sometimes come back discouraged because they don’t receive any answer from a lot of employers in the community,” he said.

However, the recent Second Chance Job Fair was able to encourage many of his residents, since they had an opportunity to connect with employers face-to-face, Washington said.

“They could present themselves, and not just be a piece of paper; they were able to have a voice and connect with employers,” he said.

Since all participants are aware of the event’s purpose, job seekers do not face the immediate rejection often encountered in standard hiring processes. Thus, second-chance job fairs are designed to reduce the stigma of having a criminal record while searching for employment.

“The goal of our job fair was simple: create a space where job seekers with barriers could meet employers who are genuinely open to hiring them; without judgment, without stigma, and without being screened out before they even get a chance to talk,” Pibal said. “We wanted an event where people could walk in and immediately feel like they belonged there.”

Pibal observes that their recent job fair was a success, and demonstrated a high level of community support behind the effort.

“As for outcomes, we had around 75 job seekers, which is a fantastic turnout for a specialized event like this,” he said. “Every employer stayed busy the entire morning, and many told me they had meaningful conversations with candidates.”

Washington said that several of his residents attended the job fair and had positive reactions. “After connecting with the residents, they were very excited to attend,” he said. “They were pretty happy to show me their resumes that they had put in place. they got a chance to connect with employers in the community and it sounded as if it was very promising for them.”

Clayton, founder and CEO of AFES, agrees that the event was highly successful and beneficial for both prospective employees and employers. He emphasizes that hosting Fort Dodge’s first second-chance job fair is important for the entire community.

“We wanted the job fair to be specifically related to people with criminal records and employers who would hire them,” he said. “Often these groups of individuals feel intimidated or unwelcome at regular job fairs, or leave feeling those companies will not hire them because of their record.”

The 54-year-old Clayton recalls his own challenges as a young man with a felony on his record. “As an individual myself with a felony, I understand and want to help crush this barrier,” he said. “This type of job fair would have really helped me and some of my friends and family who also had legal troubles. It shows that someone cares and there is hope and opportunities out there.”

He credits his family and mentors for helping him overcome his criminal past.

“Having my mom and family here in town, and a related support system, were very helpful. I didn’t want to ever disappoint my mom again,” he said. “And Jerry Patterson was there for me, giving me my first job when everyone else was not going to hire a 21-year-old with a felony on five-years’ probation.”

Clayton explains that his own past legal difficulties and successful reintegration into society led him to establish AFES 25 years ago. As a non-profit organization providing after-school programs, sports, and mentorship for local youth, AFES focuses on academic, athletic, and personal development through activities, such as tutoring, teamwork, and leadership training.

His rationale for supporting the recent felon-friendly job fair is similar.

“I see a lot of guys who don’t have that foundation or support that benefited me; so how can we help them?” he said.

For anyone not able to attend the job fair, Pibal encourages them to stop by the local Iowa WORKS office, located at 330 First Ave. N., Suite G.

“We are available to work with individual job seekers to help their unique needs for successful employment,” he said.