One year ago, the Workforce Innovation Center set out to answer a question fundamental to the Center’s work: What becomes possible when organizations committed to the same mission begin working together instead of working alongside one another?
That question became the foundation of the Fair Chance Working Group.
Employers across our region are trying to solve many of the same difficult problems. They’re looking for reliable talent, working to improve retention, and managing ongoing workforce shortages. At the same time, community organizations help legal system-involved individuals rebuild their lives through employment every day. Too often, though, employers, workforce providers, and support organizations have been working toward the same goal without a consistent way to connect their efforts: committed partners in need of better coordination.
The Fair Chance Working Group was created to change that.
The idea grew out of conversations with Trina Jackson, Director of the Hamilton County Office of Reentry. Those early discussions made it clear that employers, workforce organizations, and public agencies were all working toward the same outcome but rarely had the opportunity to solve problems together. From there, our objective was straightforward: convene workforce providers, support organizations, and public sector partners to better support legal system-involved individuals as they transition into meaningful employment. We intentionally started small, focusing on Hamilton County and building a collaborative network grounded in community expertise and shared learning.
Over the past year, that network has gradually grown into a committed group of organizations working together to identify barriers, strengthen relationships, and create practical solutions.
Building a Stronger Workforce Ecosystem
The success of the Fair Chance Working Group is rooted in the organizations that have chosen to collaborate.
Representatives from the Hamilton County Office of Reentry, Beacon of Hope Business Alliance, Center for Employment Opportunities, City Gospel Mission, JUMPSTART OHIO, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio Justice & Policy Center, OhioMeansJobs, Talbert House, and the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio have contributed their expertise and experience throughout the year. In that time, the Working Group has become more than a meeting: a place where organizations share ideas openly, challenge assumptions, identify gaps in the system, and build relationships that continue well beyond the conference room.
One of the clearest lessons from our first year is that the real challenge lies in helping employers and jobseekers navigate a system that can be difficult to understand.
Programs exist, but people often struggle to find them. Employers want to expand opportunity yet aren’t always sure where to start. And individuals impacted by the legal system are ready to work, even as they encounter inconsistent hiring practices or struggle to connect with the right resources at the right time. These are signs of an ecosystem where committed partners have often worked side by side without truly working together.
From Conversation to Action
As the Working Group matured, the focus of our conversations increasingly shifted from identifying barriers to creating practical solutions. Those discussions have already influenced several Workforce Innovation Center initiatives designed to help employers and workforce partners navigate the fair chance hiring landscape.
The real measure of a working group is what its conversations make possible:
- Our Fair Chance blog series, which launched earlier this year and highlights partners, promising practices, and important insights.
- Development of a publicly accessible Fair Chance Employer Designation to recognize businesses committed to inclusive hiring in collaboration with existing models within the ecosystem.
- Planning for a regional Fair Chance Playbook that will provide employers with practical tools and resources.
- Continued work toward a stronger referral network that better connects employers with trusted workforce and reentry organizations.
Together, these initiatives are moving the conversation beyond awareness and toward action. What began as discussions among a small group of partners is now influencing conversations with employers, workforce organizations beyond the Fair Chance network, education partners, and community leaders. That’s exactly what we hoped this Working Group would become: a catalyst for broader regional collaboration.
Looking Ahead
As we begin our second year, our goals remain clear.
Our work is far from finished. Every employer that discovers a new talent pipeline, every partner that makes a new referral, and every individual who finds meaningful employment adds strength to our entire regional workforce, one career at a time.
For employers interested in becoming more involved, getting started doesn’t require overhauling your hiring process overnight. It can begin by exploring fair chance hiring within your organization, connecting with the Workforce Innovation Center and our partners, or participating in a pilot program, referral partnership, or engaging with the community as a designated Fair Chance Employer.
Looking back on our first year, I’m reminded that meaningful change often starts with something simple: people willing to sit around the same table, listen to one another, and commit to solving problems together. That’s exactly what the Fair Chance Working Group has become.
Thank you to every organization and individual who has contributed to this effort during our first year. Your expertise, partnership, and willingness to collaborate are helping build a stronger workforce ecosystem where employers have access to talent, community organizations are better connected, and more individuals have the opportunity to turn a second chance into a meaningful future.
By: Daniel Love
Manager, Workforce Innovation Center
Cincinnati Regional Chamber
