CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Office of Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the West Virginia Schools of Diversion and Transition (WVSDT) and other agencies will host the Re-entry and Recovery Works Conference at the Charleston Marriott Town Center in Charleston, West Virginia on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. The conference is 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and registration is available at no cost at WVReentryConference.org. Participants may attend in-person or virtually.
Across the nation there are more job openings than people applying. Meanwhile, millions of individuals in substance use recovery and formerly incarcerated Americans are struggling to find stable employment upon re-entry. The Re-entry and Recovery Works Conference bridges that gap by offering education and job opportunities for participants that have barriers to employment. Employers from various industries and organizations that provide resources will be present to network with potential employees.
Job seekers can attend the conference to learn about re-entry and recovery employment opportunities in West Virginia and how to obtain and sustain meaningful employment. Business owners and hiring managers will learn about resources and incentives of hiring these participants through federal tax credits, free bonding programs, on-the-job training funding, recovery-friendly best practices and more.
Recent data show the number of West Virginians incarcerated has grown five-fold over the last 30 years. There is a large population of people who will be re-entering society after serving their time. Many formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed in West Virginia a year after their release, and one of the key factors that contributes to recidivism is unemployment. The conference provides a venue to combat those statistics allowing employers to meet qualified candidates and discuss employment opportunities.
“Ensuring our neighbors that have a barrier to employment, especially those coming out of substance use treatment and correctional facilities, can find a stable job helps individuals, families, communities and our state,” said WVSDT Superintendent Jacob Green. “These people have done what they can to correct their life trajectory. What they are seeking is a chance to live and work with dignity.”
The WVSDT provides educational services to more than 6,000 juveniles and adults in residential and other state-operated facilities. The WVDE and State Board of Education have assumed an important role in providing programs and services that help change their lives.
The Re-entry and Recovery Works Conference is held as a partnership between WVSDT, Jobs & Hope WV, Marshall University Health, REACH, Right on Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, Workforce West Virginia, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, and West Virginia Reentry Councils.