{"id":539018,"date":"2021-09-16T07:33:09","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T11:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/kelly-launches-program-to-connect-job-seekers-who-have-a-criminal-record-with-companies-in-need-of-their-skills\/"},"modified":"2021-09-16T07:33:09","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T11:33:09","slug":"kelly-launches-program-to-connect-job-seekers-who-have-a-criminal-record-with-companies-in-need-of-their-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/kelly-launches-program-to-connect-job-seekers-who-have-a-criminal-record-with-companies-in-need-of-their-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"Kelly\u00ae Launches Program to Connect Job Seekers Who Have a Criminal Record with Companies in Need of Their Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nWorkforce solutions provider launches Kelly 33 after a successful partnership with Toyota Manufacturing in Kentucky, involving candidates with criminal records being eligible for hire
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TROY, Mich., Sept. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — It\u2019s a staggering statistic: One in three working-age Americans \u2013 more than 70 million people \u2013 have some type of criminal record. Most of them are non-violent offenders unable to access quality employment because of outdated background screening practices companies have in place. These blanket bans deprive Americans who are motivated to work of opportunity and economic mobility, and they make it harder for businesses in need of skilled workers to fill open positions. Today, Kelly<\/a>\u00ae, a global workforce solutions leader, is announcing a program that tackles this issue head on.<\/p>\n

\n Kelly 33<\/a> connects talented job seekers who have a non-violent, non-relevant criminal background with employers in need of their skills. The program gives hiring managers access to undiscovered talent looking for a second chance. It is being launched after a successful partnership with Toyota Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky<\/a>, involving candidates with criminal records being eligible for hire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re proud to launch Kelly 33 to expand employment opportunities for many of the nearly 33% of Americans with a criminal history and to help companies better meet their talent acquisition goals,\u201d Kelly President and CEO Peter Quigley says. \u201cOur partnership with Toyota highlights how giving individuals a second chance is not only a good thing to do but is also good for business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly conducts individualized screenings of candidates\u2019 criminal background records, consistent with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission\u2019s (EEOC) Green Factors, which look at job-relatedness and how criminal conduct is related to a specific position, when placing candidates at Toyota. As of today, Kelly has evaluated 1,242 candidates with a criminal record for potential assignments at Toyota, 92% of whom are eligible for placement. More than half of those candidates \u2013 645 job seekers \u2013 accepted Kelly\u2019s offer for placement at Toyota.<\/p>\n

As a result of Kelly\u2019s individualized assessment of candidate criminal history, hundreds of candidates were successfully placed at Toyota, resulting in Toyota\u2019s Georgetown, Kentucky plant increasing its talent pool by 20%, reducing its turnover rate by 70% to an all-time monthly low of 3%, and increasing its overall diversity rate by 8%, which ranks among the top companies in the Central Kentucky region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis collaboration has been a tremendous success from both a business and community engagement perspective,\u201d says Keilon Ratliff, vice president and head of Kelly\u2019s automotive business. \u201cNot one second chance worker placed at Toyota\u2019s Georgetown, Kentucky plant has been terminated for\u00a0behavior that correlated to their criminal history, which is sometimes a bias that prevents companies from hiring or accepting candidates with criminal records. We now fill positions quicker and people across the community applaud Toyota\u2019s commitment to\u00a0equity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ratliff, who conceptualized Kelly 33 to bring similar initiatives to clients across the country, is a firm believer that access to work is the biggest driver for justice and equality in America. He has personally witnessed how difficult it can be for individuals with a criminal record to break free from a cycle of poverty and crime without access to work, and he tells that story in this video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A recent Kelly survey<\/a> shows that the vast majority of Americans share Ratliff\u2019s sentiments:<\/p>\n