Goodwill ex-offender program participants go through extensive training, testing, paid job trials, and evaluations before they are deemed job-ready candidates for your business.

Work readiness

Initiated months before their release, program participants are given thorough skills assessments, followed by intensive, curriculum-based classroom training designed to provide the necessary tools to be successful in the workplace.

Paid work experience

Readiness training is followed by enrollment in Goodwill’s Managed Employment Program in which candidates are placed into time-limited, minimum wage, paid work opportunities within Goodwill’s industrial services division. This real-world experience solidifies workplace expectations and etiquette, and instructs on how to work well with supervisors and coworkers.

Try-out employment incentives:

• Employers can receive a monetary reimbursement within 30 days of the Offender Success participant’s employment, Goodwill handles the paperwork and a check is sent.
• Payroll history with hours worked and gross pay required for processing.
• A simple contract is required to participate.

Employer benefits of hiring:

• Wage Reimbursement: Goodwill, with the use of state funding, can help employers secure wage reimbursement for the starting wage of hiring and training qualified candidates.
• Tax Credits: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) can reduce an employer’s federal income tax liability by as much as $9,600 for hiring ex-felons within a year of release. Goodwill staff can advise employers on eligibility and assist with paperwork.
• Loss Protection: The U.S. Department of Labor's Federal Bonding Program protects employers from employee dishonesty (covering theft, forgery, embezzlement) for the first six months of employment at no cost to the job applicant or the employer.
• Retention: Goodwill programs include a strong job-retention training component for long-term success. Employers can rely on Goodwill case managers and parole officers for ongoing support and assistance with problems or obstacles even months after hire.
• Temporary Placement Option: GoodTemps, Goodwill’s temporary staffing agency, is an option for employers who would like a trial employment period with no hassle or risk.
• Crime Reduction: Employment is crucial to the successful integration of ex-offenders into society and giving people second chances enhances the public safety of our communities.

Satisfied employer partners include:

• Century Foundry
• Ginman Tire Company
• Goober’s Baker
• Jost International
• Richey Nursery
• Michigan Spring & Stamping
• Monarch Powder Coating