Suffolk hosts job fair to assist people with criminal records 

Suffolk County will be hosting a slate of hiring events this month, including its 8th annual Fresh Start Career Expo on March 18 in Hauppauge.

The Fresh Start event, organized by the county Department of Labor, is designed to help the formerly incarcerated find stable employment. The hiring event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the One-Stop Employment Center in Hauppauge, at 725 Veterans Memorial Hwy.

“For job seekers, finding employment can be tough enough without the barriers faced by individuals with a previous conviction,” County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement.  “Fresh Start is aptly named as the vehicle to help ready, willing and able job seekers re-enter the workforce.”

Landing a job after incarceration or a conviction often poses a major challenge for job seekers. Even in an economic landscape with low unemployment and steady job growth, stigma and post-conviction restrictions can make the job application process a struggle.

The unemployment rate for former inmates reached 27.3% in 2008 — the latest year data are available — compared with 5.8% in the general population that same year, according to estimates from the Prison Policy Initiative, a Massachusetts-based think tank that advocates for prison reform.

Job seekers interested in the Fresh Start Expo may also attend an applicant prep session at the One-Stop center on Friday, March 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to receive job search training, sharpen interview skills, craft their resume and learn ways to manage personal barriers to employment. 

Employers scheduled to attend the March 18 expo include Home Depot, Winter Bros., Amneal Pharmaceuticals and American Maintenance.

The county is also hosting other hiring events this month.

Friday  from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the county’s One-Stop center will host a job fair at the Lindenhurst Memorial Library, at 1 Lee Ave. in Lindenhurst.

Employers expected to attend include A Gentle Touch Senior Care, Splish Splash, the Long Island Rail Road and the U.S. Postal Service.

On March 26, the county will host a job fair at the Middle Country Library in Centereach from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Scheduled employers include Cold Spring Harbor Labs, Nature’s Bounty, Stony Brook University, CVS and Gurwin Home Care.

For more information about One-Stop Employment Center events, call 631-853-6600.