Hello,
September 2016, I was charged with grand theft in the amount of $30,000 and as result I have a felony and must complete 5 years of felony probation. The actual crime occurred 8 years prior in 2018, at the age of 20. Characteristically, I don’t even vaguely resemble the young person that I was then. I feel like I’m stuck working in a job that has no benefits, opportunities, or room for enhancement.
I was scheduled to begin classes this year for respiratory therapy, but the board does not allow felon participants because I will not be able to obtain state certification here in CA. Furthermore, as a convicted felon, I don’t meet criteria to receive federally funded financial aid to attend any 2 year college.
Kindly,
Allison
Felon is looking for training and a career
Hello Allison,
Despite what you may consider a bleak situation, you are better off than most ex-offenders and felons…you have a job. You may not qualify for federal educational funding but you may qualify for occupational training funded by your state. This training could very well be the start of a new career. You can get more information from the state Dept. of Labor. There is a Dept. of Labor representative at your local One-stop Career Center
As I suggest to most ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, make a visit to your local One-stop Career Center. This is a really underutilized resource. Each state has a network of centers that provide an assortment of free services that can help you in getting a job. In addition, these centers provide a long list of services that can help people get jobs and even train them for new careers. Some services available are:
Career planning and counseling
Workshops (Resume Writing, Interviewing Skills, and related topics.)
Computers with internet access and word processing
Daily access to thousands of job listings
Job-related magazines and local newspapers
Job postings and referrals
Printers, fax machines, phones, and copiers for job search use
Each center has trained counselors that provide one-on-one assistance. Many of them have experience assisting ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs. You can find the One-stop Career Center nearest you at:
www.servicelocator.org