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Resources for Career Counselors

Find information and resources to help counselors, advisors, instructors, or anyone who helps people with a criminal conviction with career planning.

Recorded Training

Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction (Webinar)
April 9, 2020

Career counselors and other workforce professionals who help people with criminal convictions prepare and plan their careers or search for a job can register for this one hour webinar showcasing the updated Career Planning for People with Conviction website and workbook on CAREERwise. Get an overview of the website and find content written specifically for someone with a criminal conviction in Minnesota. You'll also learn how to use the workbook with your clients, and get connected to other helpful resources for your clients.

Presenters

  • Beth Ross, Goodwill-Easter Seals
  • Denise Felder, Career Technical Education
  • Joy Brown, Minnesota State CAREERwise

Download the PowerPoint Presentation or watch the webinar recording online

This FREE webinar is one of a series produced by MN Career Technical Education (CTE) Professional Development.

Fact Sheet

Download the Fact Sheet to learn more about what this website offers.

Facilitator Guide

The Facilitator Guide for Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction shows you:

  • Highlights. See how this website is different than other career planning websites.
  • How to navigate the website
  • What's in each section. Quickly understand the resources found here. Find links to other helpful resources on the web.

Workbook

The Career Planning workbook is a companion to this website.  It offers activities and information to help people with a criminal conviction focus on their job search.  You can download individual worksheets/activities or the entire workbook

News

Step Ahead News Feed

Find recent news about labor market trends, public policy, programs and other topics that impact career planning and re-entry for people with a criminal conviction. 

What's New

Sign up to receive e-mail alerts when this website is updated.  You will also receive notifications about new training events and resources.

Recent Updates

  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
    You can now sign up to get recent news on topics that impact people with a criminal conviction delivered directly to your email inbox.
  • July 2019
    STEP AHEAD is now Minnesota State Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction.  Along with the new name, we've launched:

Additional Resources for Counselors and Other Workforce Professionals

Find links to other resources on the web.

WEBSITES AND PUBLICATIONS

Collateral Consequences Inventory
Created by the American Bar Association, this website shows how different types of criminal convictions affect employment.

Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders (CareerOneStop)
This national website provides career, training, and job information for ex-offenders. Use the Toolkit or the State Resource Finder to locate job search, housing, food, legal, or other assistance in your state.  CareerOneStop also offers CareerOneStop Re-Entry.   In this version of their website all of the external links have been disabled for use within a correctional facility.  Learn more about CareerOneStop Job search resources for prisoners and ex-offenders

Internet Sites for Career Planning (National Career Development Association)
Select "Special Populations" and "Incarcerated and Ex-Offenders" to find website resources to help professionals who work with individuals with criminal convictions. 

Minnesota Criminal Offenders Rehabilitation Statutes
Find Minnesota Statutes related to the rehabilitation of criminal offenders including those related to employment and the availability of criminal records.

Minnesota Federal Bonding Program
Federal bonding offers employers no-cost bonding insurance for employees who are considered to be "at-risk" due to a criminal record.  Learn more about eligibility and coverage.  Find out how to apply for the program.

Minnesota's Fair Chance Hiring Guide
Written for employers, this guide will help you understand the legal and business concerns involved when hiring someone with a criminal conviction.  You'll learn about incentives for hiring workers with a felony conviction, get answers to common questions, and see best practices.  To download the guide, visit Twin Cities Rise for Employers and scroll until you see the "Minnesota's Fair Chance Hiring Guide" (about half-way down the page).  Select "Download Your Guide Now!"

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available as an incentive for employers to hire workers who experience high rates of unemployment, including those with a criminal record.  Learn about the program, who qualifies, and how to apply. 

WEBINARS AND TRAINING

Fact and Myths: Health Care Employment Opportunities for People with Criminal Records
June 2019
Understand the true scope and impact of employment-related collateral consequences in the health care sector.