USPO Job Fair Recap

The community of Pittsburgh showed its solidarity and commitment to helping others on April 29, 2016 when employers, organizations and individuals gathered at the US Probation Office for the 3rd Annual US Probation Office Job Fair.

Over 100 former offenders seeking new career opportunities attended the event.  Participants applied for jobs on site - a small computer lab was consistently filled with job seekers completing applications for employment.  Job seekers discussed job possibilities with representatives from companies such as UPS, Burns & Scalo, Omni William Penn, Amazon and UPMC.  Service providers such as Building Bridges for Business, Hill House First Source Center, and The Pennsylvania  Office of Vocational Rehabilitation distributed career information and information about supportive services.  Many attendees got to discuss vocational training options with a variety of  schools such as Rosedale Technical College, Made Right Here, and ZeroSixEight.  Even a representative from The German American Chamber of Commerce was on hand to talk about the number of German-based companies in the Pittsburgh area who are seeking to hire ever day. And Career Talk on KDKA was in attendance to share resources related to employment and career advancement.

From setup to meeting with job seekers to networking with one another, vendors and participants found the event to be a great success.  Before and after the event, employers and service providers networked with one another; discussions included potential training projects, referral of employees, and opportunities for all to participate in one another's future events. Dozens and dozens of potential employees got to apply for jobs and/or schedule interviews.  Employers left the event with 50-60 candidates signed up for upcoming group or individual interviews while many conducted brief interviews on-site based on a candidate's individual resume.

Participating employers had this to say:

"One of the best job fairs I've ever attended!"

"I can't believe the caliber of candidate I met at today's event"

"I met so many candidates and made so many connections with schools, service providers and other employers...I will definitely attend again in the future."

This year's US Probation Job Fair took on a special meaning as it happened to take place on the final day of National Reentry Week as declared by the US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  It was a week dedicated to highlighting programs that help former prisoners adjust to life outside prison walls.  Lynch has been quoted as saying, "We have seen that when businesses take a chance on individuals who have gained life skills and job skills, they gain incredible local and dedicated employees."  US Probation & Pretrial Services of Western Pennsylvania has been helping to facilitate this process since the 2005 inception of its workforce development program.

The US Probation Office in Pittsburgh, for example, hosts a weekly Job Club which features job search lessons, the exchange of job leads, guest speakers and visits from local employers.  Scott Albert of Career Talk on KDKA, who also participated in Friday's job fair, said, "That job club is just one example of the remarkable work happening at Probation in Pittsburgh; that job club gives former offenders unique access to career opportunities."  The US Probation Pittsburgh Job Club has taken place every Wednesday since July of 2005.

Viable employment is a critical component to successful reentry.  The 3rd Annual USPO Job Fair promoted employment and gave former offenders a realistic chance to connect with many local businesses and organizations.  Participants benefited from meeting employers, and the employers found talented applicants.  This event, and the on-going activities of US Probation's Workforce Development Program, are a great demonstration of how a successful workforce development programs operates.