CORI-friendly virtual job fair, career development workshop series announced

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development, and the Mayor's Office of Public Safety today announced a series of virtual events to help residents impacted by criminal records (CORIs) gain access to career development resources and CORI-friendly job opportunities. The events will be hosted in partnership with MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center  and the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, and are facilitated through Project Opportunity, the City of Boston's pilot initiative to help residents seal, expunge, and manage their CORIs to gain access to better jobs, housing, and educational opportunities. 

"One goal of Project Opportunity is to connect residents impacted by CORIs with job training programs and employment opportunities," said Mayor Walsh. "The best job candidate is a prepared candidate, so I want to encourage our CORI-impacted residents to participate in these workshops, ask questions, and use these resources to achieve a better future."

Each of the three workshops will focus on a key skill to increase employability, such as how to create a resume and interview basics. The series will end with a virtual job fair where participants will have an opportunity to share their resumes with CORI-friendly employers. The events are free and open to the public, but require registration. The events include: 

• Why and How to Create a Resume on Tuesday, October 6 from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Learn the purpose of a resume, understand how it's used, and start to organize your work history into a basic resume format. Sample resumes will be shared, too! Click here to register. 
• Interview Basics on Tuesday, October 13 from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Be prepared and confident for your next job interview! Learn about types of interviews, interview etiquette, proper responses, and "end of interview" strategies. Click here to register. 
• Virtual Job Fair Prep from Tuesday, October 20 from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Learn all of the key factors to making a good impression before, during, and after the virtual job fair. Click here to register. 
• Virtual Job Fair on Tuesday, October 27 from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Learn about job openings with local CORI-friendly employers and submit your resume to employers that interest you. Click here to register. 

Participating employers include Brigham & Women's Hospital, Newmarket Business Association, and Surge Employment Solutions. For more information on employers, please visit here. These events are held in partnership with the Suffolk County's Sheriff's Office and MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center, which is under the oversight of the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development.

"Sustainable employment is one of the most important ingredients to anyone's success, but it is absolutely crucial for people returning to society post-incarceration," said Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins. "Finding jobs that are CORI-friendly can be a daunting challenge, in addition to some of the other obstacles that returning citizens face upon reentry, and events like this one can play a significant role, both in helping to reduce recidivism and contributing to a safer and more vibrant community."

"We celebrate employers who see talent and not just a CORI. As a Career Center, we're pleased to partner with Mayor Walsh and his team in the effort to connect employers with talent and job seekers with tools, services, and connections to achieve meaningful and sustained employment," said Doreen Tracey, Vice President of Career Services at MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center. 

Since launching in July, Project Opportunity has held 11 CORI sealing and expungement training clinics, serving over 190 residents, and has held virtual panels convening experts to discuss different topics that highlight the challenges and solutions for people with CORIS.

Led by the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development and the Mayor's Office of Public Safety, Project Opportunity draws on the collaborative expertise of various City departments and external partners to provide residents impacted by CORIs with the necessary legal and support services. These services include connecting residents with free legal consultation to determine if their CORIs are eligible for sealing or expungement, covering the filing costs for sealing or expungement, and connecting residents with employment opportunities, job training, and related services.

In 2017, Mayor Walsh launched the City's Office of Returning Citizens as part of the Office of Public Safety to support the nearly 3,000 individuals who return to Boston after being released from state, federal and county facilities each year, as well as others who were previously incarcerated. Mayor Walsh created the Office of Public Safety in 2014 with the mandate of establishing cross-agency and cabinet coordination to tackle the challenging and complex problems in our neighborhoods that lead to and perpetuate violence.