QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS Helping New Yorkers Thrive in the Workplace

By: Samantha Pugh, Associate Vice President of Programs at The Fortune Society

The Fortune Society, based in Long Island City, helps formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals rebuild their lives. For over 55 years, Fortune has provided comprehensive wrap-around support for our clients, including housing, health services, education, and much more. One program that has had a profound impact on our participants is the Workforce Development program.

A staple in our program offerings since its opening, workforce development services bridges the skills and resources gap that prevents many justice-involved New Yorkers from obtaining satisfying, high-quality jobs and achieving economic stability—and mobility. The program supports not only participants but also employers who benefit when there is a pool of skilled, qualified workers.

Each participant of the Workforce Development program goes through a two-week Career Development Workshop that provides soft skills training, such as resume-building, networking, time management, conflict resolution, workplace etiquette, and interviewing skills—including practice in answering difficult questions about previous criminal legal involvement. Recently, due to the increasing need for technology skills for most jobs, we added a digital literacy curriculum tailored to justiceinvolved job seekers.

Upon completion of the Career Development Workshop, participants have a final resume, a list of employment goals, and a plan for achieving them. We then pair them with an

Employment Specialist to help them execute their plan to attain these goals. Our Employment Specialists work with local employers to place participants in permanent positions in Queens and throughout the city. We also offer robust vocational and hard skills training courses in high-demand sectors, such as culinary arts, green building operations and maintenance, environmental remediation, social services, and transportation. In addition to the vocational and hard skills training, we offer transitional employment services for participants with limited on-the-job experience—and those who wish to change career paths—to develop the concrete skills and hands-on experience needed to obtain permanent employment. We also have a fellowship program.

Participants complete paid corporate fellowships with participants throughout the Bloomberg network and among its affiliates. They gain exposure to the corporate environment, are paired with mentors, and receive professional development and training opportunities in leadership and technology.

While the primary goal of our Workforce Development program is for participants to obtain employment, the program does not end once they are hired. Participants have access to employment services and their Employment Specialist for up to two years after securing a permanent position. They also continue to connect with their case managers to ensure that everything at their job is going smoothly and they are still working towards their greater goals. Participants receive small gifts, such as a MetroCard, with each milestone and accomplishment.

The Workforce Development program has proven to be highly successful for participants and their employers. In the last fiscal year, we served 2,246 individuals. Though the Workforce Development program is based in Queens, we place participants with job opportunities throughout the five boroughs. Some of our employment partners include Amazon, Approved Storage and Waste Hauling, American Maintenance, Citi Field, Columbia Construction, CVS, Pinder Security Services, and various nonprofits that offer healthcare, housing, veterans services, and other community supports. We also have a partnership with the Council for Airport Opportunity’s Office of Second Chance Employment, which enables us to refer justice-impacted jobseekers for consideration for high-quality jobs at JFK airport.

One of our core beliefs at Fortune is that individuals have the power to change when given the proper support and resources. The Workforce Development program is designed to foster successful reentry by tackling the lack of employment opportunities for justice-involved people— one of the most significant factors in recidivism. With Fortune, those impacted by the criminal legal system can obtain credentials, increase self-confidence, and be positive, contributing members of their community and society.