Outreach Coordinators/Career Navigators connect participants to educational services and workforce development.
On Parole? On Probation? Need a Job?
We Got Your Back.
The REAL Program empowers young adults, ages 18-24, to achieve success. We do this by:
Ongoing Support and Mentorship
Behavioral Health Advocate helps participants identify and overcome unique barriers as they transition back to their community. This is a Masters-level professional who specializes in mental health and counseling. They will support young adults through trauma-informed care and mentoring as he or she works towards self-sufficiency.
Business Services Team builds partnerships with local employers to link participants to meaningful employment opportunities.
About the Program:
There’s a vast network of resources in Luzerne and Schuylkill counties to help people on probation or parole. The REAL Reentry Program helps them restart their lives using all the available tools with a foundation of advocacy and emotional support. Perhaps most importantly, REAL helps to overcome the stigma and embarrassment they feel. It encourages confidence so they can confront their past head on, then succeed.
Business Spotlights:
A family business doesn’t last for nearly a century without doing the right thing. As a Fair Chance Employer, Jack Williams Tire & Auto Service Centers gives career opportunities to people who take their mistakes seriously and want to correct them. Jack Williams works with REAL and because it’s the right thing for its business, right for the workers and right for a better community.
Success Stories:
The REAL Reentry Program doesn’t just help people find jobs. It guides them toward jobs they want in careers they’re excited about. It works by helping people overcome barriers through advocacy and resources like job training and help with certifications. Through REAL, people who are on probation or parole explore all of their job options, even the ones that they might have written off as impossible.
Services and Benefits Include:
- Career Coaching
- Job Application Assistance
- Meet with Behavioral Health Advocate
- Peer to Peer Support
- Continuing Education
- Training Opportunities
- Goal Setting & Life Skills
- Incentives for Successful Outcomes
Eligibility Criteria
- 18 to 24 years of age
- Previous or current involvement with the justice system
- Residency in Luzerne/Schuylkill Counties
Referrals
If you or someone you know is experiencing employment challenges after being involved in the criminal justice system, contact us to learn more information and/or to enroll in our program:
fair chance employers
Fair Chance Hiring is built on the premise that everyone, regardless of their background, should be fairly assessed for a role they are qualified for, including those with criminal histories.
The PA CareerLink® Luzerne/Schuylkill Counties is proud to partner with local employers who provide opportunities to skilled applicants with past justice involvement.
REAL Connections, REAL People
The REAL Program is underwritten by the PA Department of Labor and Industry through a grant received by the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Development Board, Inc. in partnership with the PA CareerLink® in Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties.
