Erica Averion on Second Chance Hiring

Speaker A: M Future of Work Florida welcome to the Future of Work Florida Podcast, brought to you by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber Foundation. This podcast series is dedicated to equipping Florida's business leaders with the knowledge, solutions and resources available to secure Florida's workforce talent. Today, our, uh, Vice President of Talent Development for the Future of Work, Rachel Ludwig, has the pleasure of speaking with Erica, uh, Averian, Executive Director for the Florida foundation for Correctional Excellence, about a topic that sits at the intersection of workforce development and economic opportunity, Second Chance Hiring. Erica and Rachel will discuss the work happening across Florida to give returning citizens a meaningful path back into the workforce.

Speaker B: Great to have you here, Erica. Thank you again for joining us today and collaborating as part of our Future of Work Advisory Board, um, and really serving as that subject matter expert on this board to increase awareness of how our justice involved populations, you know, are really, truly an untapped talent pool, um, in Florida, but also across the country. And Cyno and I just appreciate how passionate you are and a leader in this space and really have enjoyed getting to know you and the team at the Department of Corrections over the last several years. So I'd love to have, you know, uh, you kind of introduce yourself and also just level set, you know, for our audience. Um, how do we define Second Chance hiring and why is it such an important component of Florida's workforce strategy?

Speaker C: Sure. Well, thank you so much, Rachel, and the Chamber foundation for having us and for lifting up and centering, uh, this important conversation and just the efforts that are happening, like you said, yes, across the state, but also across the country, to prioritize individuals who have a criminal record, who are reentering the workforce in a way that can bring economic mobility but also strengthen communities from a public safety perspective. So to answer your question about my role and sort of our mission at Florida foundation for Correctional Excellence, it's a mouthful. So we often refer to ourselves as ffce. I, Erica, serve as the executive director for the foundation. And we are a statewide direct support organization by statute to Florida Department of Corrections, the largest state agency here in Florida. And so what that means is you'll hear me say we a lot. We really do see ourselves as an extension and a branch and arm of the agency to, um, help bring about enhancements and expansions to the good work that the Department of Corrections is already doing, specifically in the lane of, um, helping the offenders in our care and custody get prepared for the workforce so that they do not come back. And so our mission is centered around unlocking that economic mobility for justice impacted individuals. And we do that by pouring into the programs that already exist at the department that involve a, um, variety of different trainings, from career and technical training to academia to betterment, to build a strong, inclusive workforce post release. So we're working to bridge that gap between the correctional education and the workforce demand. So I sort of see our role, um, yes, that's our overall mission, but in a more concrete way is like a bridge, right? We are out there recruiting and connecting with business owners and leaders and companies who have workforce shortages, and we're onboarding and engaging them to the Department of Corrections, who has an infrastructure in place of the trained job seekers that are preparing for release. So we ensure that that untapped skilled talent is actually meaningfully connected to the workforce upon reentry. So we're existing to turn the second chance opportunity into a stronger link and connection. And so at a very high level, that is, um, our effort and how we spend our days. And to answer the second part of your question, you know, why is this important? Why, um, is the conversation around second chance hiring important to the future of Florida's workforce? Um, you know, we say a lot that, you know, second chance hiring isn't just, um, morally imperative. Right. It's, um, an economic issue. It is an economic priority. So Florida has over 4 million people with criminal records, and that's a very big number. But when you break that down in the context of what we're talking about, the Florida Department of Corrections currently houses around 86,000 individuals behind their bars, and they release upwards of around 25,000 every year that have previously been incarcerated. But then there's another number we supervise on probation and parole over the span of cumulative years of release, 145,000 people who are out in our communities every single day, who've been in our care and custody or been on some type of diversion and received supervision or probation, that have a criminal record. So if you look at everyone who has a criminal record, you know, 4 million people plus you look at the people currently in the custody and care, you look at those releasing from that care, but then still being supervised in some way, and you really break that down, and you look at those individuals being released to every county across the entire state, you realize very quickly, um, that those numbers sliced and diced, and that math is equals a lot of economic impact, right? And what that translates to is that many people face barriers to employment despite having training, um, when trying to get a job. And then that ripples down into a lot of other impact from Restoring families to keeping communities safe. And so we really like to center some of those barriers in our conversation. Um, the reason we think it is important is because, number one, we want to reduce victims in the state of Florida. Right. Number one, at the highest level, we want to improve public safety. Behind every crime there is a victim. Period. And we want to reduce that. We want our communities to be safer. Secondly, we want to restore families. These mhm. People grocery shop with us, they pump gas with us, their kids go to school with your kids. They are not just an other person or someone else. Right. One in three people have a criminal record. Mhm. And so for us it's important for, yes, like I said, that moral compass. But also economically, when we're looking at those numbers and we're breaking it down from an economic impact, um, that can't be argued either. And so if we want a really resilient future ready economy, we need to ensure that every prepared Floridian, including returning citizens, has a fair shot. And so these individuals, when you break down those numbers, really represent some of the most underleveraged and overlooked talent pools out there because many of them have been rehabilitated. Have to use incarceration as a place of transformation of, you know, maybe arguably received their first chance to have an opportunity to be educated. Maybe this isn't their second chance depending on their background, that this was the first time they got their GED or had the opportunity to learn how to read or advanced and learned a trade or a skill set. And they have that under their belt now and they just need to be given that chance. And so I know that's a really nuanced, layered answer. Um, and it really is two sided, um, that in short, it's the right thing to do. But also because we want to reduce victims and we want to improve m public safety and we want to restore families and all the right things. Right. But also from an economic standpoint, um, it makes business sense as well.

Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. Thank you for that extensive background. I think that it's all of those numbers that you shared are something that folks don't really realize and think about that even though you may not know it, we're already interacting with folks every single day. And so, um, obviously just working toward what can be in the future. And a stable job and a good paying job is really um, the solution to a lot of challenges that people face regardless of their background and family situation. Um, I would say, you know, I've worked with the folks at Department of Corrections in my role like with the Department of Education and Adult Education, as well as, you know, with some national Experts, you know, Dr. Kerry Pettis and John Koufos, in sort of this role really early on and expanding, you know, the awareness of second chance hiring in Florida. Uh, one thing that I'd be curious for you to share about a little bit more. I know you gave a nice background on the organization FFC foundation for Correctional Excellence. But is there, is there anything else that you want to share regarding the history, um, that, that maybe we didn't talk about and like, what sparked your involvement in this space, um, as well as here in Florida?

Speaker C: Sure, yeah, absolutely. So direct support organizations, um, exist in a number of states and in several of them here in Florida for state agencies. And so the Department of Corrections has had a direct support organization for its staff for, gosh, around 20 years or maybe even 20 years plus, um, the Corrections Foundation. And back in 2020, under the leadership of previous Secretary Inch and Deputy Secretary, now amazing secretary of our AGENC agency, Secretary Dixon, they had the what if vision, right? What if we had something similar for the offender population in our custody and care, where we could create a public private partnership initiative under the statute of a direct support organization, where we could have a real intentional effort of, uh, that public private sector investment to pour into the infrastructure, um, of those that were preparing for release. What would that look like? And so at the time, the leadership of the state agreed. And that really is sort of the history of how Florida foundation for Correctional Excellence kind of came to be and so overarching. The mission, of course, is around that workforce preparedness and workforce matching and success. But underneath that, uh, outside of preparing the job seeker and recruiting the employer and making that match, we just talked about all the things that are involved in that. There's also some infrastructural things, right, that needed to be put into place to help make that bridge a tighter connection. One of them was, um, actual trainings in the areas that the labor market in Florida told us that they needed with the demographics that they needed. So for instance, one of those example is the construction industry, um, was telling us that they were hiring women, particularly at unprecedented rates in the construction field in that labor market. And so we were asked to make a pretty sizable impactful investment into a heavy equipment operator program and forklift program designed for women that would match that labor market need that was being communicated to us. And so, um, we made that investment technology. How do we get these job seekers pre release in front of an employer before they ever leave Our care to ensure that there's a warm handoff. And so we invested FFCE infrastructurally in that hardware software technology that exists in every major facility, 50 plus across the state that give those job seekers who've been trained an opportunity. And so that was kind of one of our big initiatives early on, was around technology and then investing in labor market tools, learning platforms. Um, all of the incarcerated individuals in Florida have access to a tablet. And so we invested in some learning platforms for all, you know, 80 plus thousand individuals in our care to have meaningful content that allows them to have continuing education in certain interests in addition to the things that they're learning in the classroom if they are enrolled in one of our CTE programs. We deployed a mobile reentry unit, which is the first of its kind to increase probation success for those offenders who've already been released. We've supported some pilots and scholarships in the CDL sector and trucking area. We launched a small business entrepreneurship program with industry credentialing from FSU for those who are looking to launch their own ventures post release. So we have a lot of folks who are in H Vac and carpentry and electrical and plumbing and irrigation, and they may want to start a small business whenever they get out. And so just creating some pathways for those opportunities to exist. And then we've created an advisory council of, uh, people with lived experience because we know that closest to the problem, those are always closest to the solution. And then of course, our main initiative right now is the employer engagement Network. And so that's sort of more of a detailed drill down outside of our mission, like actual tangible initiatives and programs. And then to answer the second part of that, you know, how did I gravitate to this work or, you know, lift this up in Florida? And um, the short version of that is I started my career in Child Welfare 24 years ago with the Department of Children and Families. And I was in kind of that social service, social work kind of state agency realm. And there was a colleague across the hall from me who was a substance abuse therapist that had a sign in her office, a little wooden sign above her desk that said, help me remember, for every client I see, by just a quick twist of fate, could be me. And four years into my work, there it was me. My dad caught a 10 year sentence in Georgia, and then shortly after that, my mom actually entered the system here in Florida and ended up, um, receiving a sentence of the highest level of community control and community corrections. And although I was working In a system, it was not the Department of Corrections system, but I was now a child working in a child welfare system. And I was serving that time alongside my parents in a unique way because I was understanding the complexities around what it's like for a loved one in an immediate family environment to have someone who's incarcerated. And so I just had a front row seat to another system. I was, you know, working in child welfare, doing the ride alongs and developing the programs and doing the funding and sitting in the back of the, you know, courtroom and understanding all of that. And now I was understanding visitation and putting money on books and programming and you know, just that role, right. Of a loved one. And so I started to, you know, see things that I had never seen before, understand things that I didn't know existed. And, and you know, my parents are a bit of an example of something that I shared earlier, which is, you know, um, my. Neither one of my mom or dad graduated from, you know, high school. They weren't educated, they didn't have opportunities, they made choices that, you know, weren't so great throughout their life and eventually ended up getting caught for some of those choices and had to um, pay the consequences, which they should have and did. And so for me, um, I always felt that I would be working in some type of social service or state agency or nonprofit area. And that experience personally just um, gave me a closer look to this. And so I started to get involved in sort of adjacent ways through you know, circuit trauma informed care trainings or co agency collaborations and started learning more about the leadership at fdc. And my journey actually began with the Department of Corrections as a volunteer. So I started just volunteering at the agency and I did that for many years and was approached by some of the leadership at the time when this vision came to be. If I'd be interested in sort of being a liaison to launch the initiative and effort since I had background with, you know, the nonprofit realm and state agency realm. And so that's really the short answer of how I gravitated to the work and specifically how I gravitated to ffce. So I've been involved from the very beginning and um, we have a small but mighty team. And more importantly, our board of directors is a development based board. So every single, um, appointed board of director or voted in board of director is very actively engaged and really steeped in this work and contributing to all the programs and initiatives I just mentioned. But then our overall mission, um, to bring frankly, in short, just more people in, right? Bring More people into this world to understand it and kind of lift up and support it.

Speaker B: That's amazing. Yes, you do have an amazing board. Um, you know, you shared, you know, your own story and I would love to kind of hear. There's so many stories and as someone who kind of worked in, you know, challenging schools and adult education and things like that for a while, like those stories, it really motivates you to keep going and keep doing the meaningful work. Can you maybe think of just even one story, um, of a, of a person who sort of, you know, worked and got a job upon release as sort of a result of the programming that you all are implementing and executing throughout the state? And what could employers kind of learn from this success story?

Speaker C: Sure, um, gosh, I have so many, um, but the one that comes to mind, it's just a little timely, it just happened. Um, but also was just kind of a long game relationship, if you will. Um, so I mentioned earlier us investing in the heavy equipment operator program because the labor market, um, was really signaling that there was a need there. Number one fastest developing state in the country at the time a few years back. And also just the development. And so we really sought out partners, right? Employer partners, subject matter experts, volunteers, donors, just partners. And so when we launched that program, we actually day one in the classroom with the students who were chosen for that program. We brought in the Road Builders association, we brought in the Aspirations Builders association, we brought in dot, we brought in, you know, employers, we brought in Anderson, Columbia, Ring Power. We brought in these partners to say, would you walk alongside this cohort with us? Right. We don't know what that looks like. It may be donating equipment once a quarter on the compound for the women in this class to get real world experience and hands on experience. It may be, you know, bringing hard hats and training manuals and showing them what it's like on a real job site. It may be being a mentor or a guest speaker for one of the modules. Like we're not sure, but would you walk alongside us? And so some of those partners early on have stayed with us and it's looked very different for all of them. And some were initially really, um, transparent to say we're not sure that we can be a second chance employer because we don't know that we have those positions. Like for example, Ring Power was a perfect example. They were like, however, we're the largest equipment dealer in the state and we sell equipment. All of the people that we sell equipment to need these people. Mhm. So they offered to kind of help us build a network of people who had that need. And then they stayed alongside of us, right? They never said, no, we can't. They just said, you know, we're not sure it's a direct match. We really actually need diesel mechanics more than we need, you know, actual people to operate equipment. We need people to repair their equipment because we're, you know, selling it. But they kept and continued to walk alongside us by bringing equipment onto the compound quarterly, by donating training materials, by bringing executives in to speak to the class, by visiting other facilities for site visits to understand how they could pour in. And then I'm happy to announce they are now a second chance employer and have made a hire of an individual who was one of our first classroom aides in the ATO program. And so I have a ton of favorites, such as my favorite this week because it's just a real full circle moment, um, that she's not even entirely out of prison yet. She is at a work release center in the state where, um, you know, for the next, you know, part of the 10 year and journey of the remainder of her sentence will actually be working in an industry in which she was trained while she was in prison. And so to me, um, I just can't think of a stronger reflection of what a partnership that can build, um, and strengthen over time can result in with fruit. And so that's the one I'm most excited about this week.

Speaker B: Yeah, no, that's excellent. I mean, that's kind of the goal of all the coordinated efforts. Right. And so that's a great success story. Uh, I'm going to pivot a little bit and I want to sort of bring to the forefront for the audience, as you really understand and been working in this space a long time. You know, what's one thing you wish more people understood about the potential of our justice involved population? You shared that one example. But what is that for employers to really understand and just, uh, the communities at large?

Speaker C: Yeah. So, you know, I think most people don't realize how hard it is for these individuals who have worked to transform them. Their lives truly reintegrate many people who have, have completed rigorous career and technical education and earn, uh, national credentials and are actively seeking stability and growth in every facet of their life. And so they're not just job seekers. They're people who are deeply motivated to succeed. And at ffce, what we often say to kind of help people understand that piece of the justice impacted workforce is that we want people to live out their greatest Wishes, not their greatest regrets. And we find that when given the chance, they can become some of your most loyal, productive employees. And so we hear from employers that, you know, sometimes, um, many don't work out, and oftentimes many more don't work out than do. But the ones that do are the most coveted and respected and loyal, um, employees that they have. And so I think that's something we find that our job seekers, they get a little taste of success. Many of them have never had it, and they don't want to lose it. They're grateful. Gratitude changes everything. They haven't always been in a traditional workforce setting, but they've been in a very disciplined, structured setting, right? They've had to wake up every day. At the same time, they've had to do the. They have been in a very structured environment which allows them to translate to structure, you know, in the workforce. And so we have employers who say to me, you know what? Send me five more of them. I don't care if they're on probation. In fact, I prefer it. There's a higher level of accountability. Their probation officers are amazing. They stop by once a month, lay eyes on, and make sure they're here. But you know what? They are so dedicated. They are the most responsible, they are the most loyal. And so I think that's kind of the loudest message I would want to send, is that I think many people would be surprised at once they invest in these individuals, that they get a taste of what that, uh, investment means and the gravity of it, and that they don't want to lose it, and they're sort of indebted to the employer and go above and beyond. And so I think that's. That's probably the loudest thing. And then I also think, um, you know, you hear us talk a lot about, you know, public safety and reentry. Um, and reentry can kind of be a jargony term, um, sometimes, and recidivism and these big words. But, you know, for us, it's very important that we sort of double down on an individual while they're re entering, right? We know that a large percent of people who violate their probation or parole do not have a job. We know that. We know the most clear piece of data out there of people who are unsuccessful on a path to reentry and recidivate is because they did not have a job. Rachel.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: And so for us, you know, if we're serious about public safety and we're serious about recidivism, then we are most serious about workforce and employment opportunities. And it means that we can't talk about safer communities without talking about stronger workforce systems for people with criminal records. Like we, we can't, we can't without the other right. Public safety isn't just about preventing a cr. It's about creating conditions where people are less likely to return to prison.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: They are less likely to return to prison if they have a job. When individuals return home with the tools and support and opportunity, recidivism drops and families stabilize and communities thrive. And so we believe that reentry really begins with someone while they're still in our care and custody and then communicating sort of the gravity of what that system of care can produce if somebody is there to be their warm handoff and to hire them and to allow them to live in their neighborhood and ensure they have a job and that their transition is supported. Yes. But also celebrated as well.

Speaker B: Absolutely. Um, you've provided so much great information today. One final call to action. How can folks get involved in the work that you're doing? You know, even with connecting, you know, these folks with employment? Like we're trying to raise awareness of high demand career opportunities, uh, through our future of work efforts. But what's your call to action for employers specifically or other state stakeholders?

Speaker C: Yes. So thank you for that. We need employers, we need chambers, we need industry leaders to be a part of the solution, whether it's through second chance hiring or just engaging in our employer network to say, I'm interested, I want to mitigate risk, I don't know

Speaker A: how to do this.

Speaker C: I want to learn more. Offering an opportunity in your field. Maybe you don't have the positions open, but you know that you will based on a contract you're pursuing and you want to just learn more, you know, just all of the above, um, there's something for everyone. So we invite any stakeholders to visit us@uh, fl directionalexcellence.com and you can contact us there on our contact page and explore what a partnership opportunity would look like. And we just welcome anyone who is working through a workforce challenge, Right? Yes, we have trained job seekers, but we also have people and places and we have compounds that we're turning into campuses. So we are open to talking with companies and businesses who want to cater, you know, training systems that would create a direct pipeline to exactly the type of workforce that they need. We can align our correctional education with the training that can meet their real time needs. So if you're a company out there who um, is like, I need These particular type of welders, or you're a system out there who's building an opportunity in your community that's like, you know, we just don't have these people trained in this area. We want to talk to you too. So the best way to get involved, of course, at a very quick entry level is to visit us on our website. But then the most, in my opinion, and you can share your opinion. Best, uh, way to really get involved is to attend one of our employer partner showcases. Um, these are really unique special events. Um, they are led by our job seekers and so themselves, the ones who are earning credentials or already have earned some type of, you know, industry trade. They're giving direct access to the environments that they've learned, but also we're giving you as a company direct access to them. And so businesses and employers are having the opportunity to come in and engage with this environment and engage with the job seekers that are actually returning to their areas. And so for me, that is one of the greatest ways to get involved. It's not a tour, it's not a job fair, it's not a resource fair. It is an intentional interaction with an employer and a job seeker and sort of a direct matching. And so in my opinion, the call to action would be to join us for one of those. Our next one is coming UP in September, September 17th in Region 2 of the State at Lot Body CI, which is in Bradford County. And we have information on our homepage of our website again@flcorrectionalexcellence.com and then, Rachel, you just attended one, so you can speak to your experience of that as well.

Speaker B: Yes, no, absolutely. Thank you so much. I would also echo the things that you're sharing. Um, you know, as somebody who was an educator prior to this work, I just loved seeing, um, our leader that day evolve and the confidence grow and the practice of the presentation skills and being able to articulate all the training and skills that they were gaining through those programming. And I just, I really, really enjoyed the day and just, um, definitely will champion the other opportunities throughout the state as you, as you hold them so well. Thank you again so much for being here and sharing all your. And just for all the work that you do, truly, it's so impactful and I feel very, very grateful to work together, um, in many ways. So thank you so much.

Speaker C: Same to you. Thank you. Rachel.

Speaker A: Thank you for joining us for today's Future of Work Florida podcast. To find out more about the resources discussed in today's segment, we invite you to visit our website@flchamber.com futureofwork florida Together, we can champion the future of work and create America's best workforce right here in Florida. Be sure to subscribe for future content.