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Job Fair Targets Formerly Incarcerated Workers

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People who have spent time in jail can learn about employment opportunities at a job fair Saturday at Wichita's St. Mark United Methodist Church.

The job fair will assist people who find it hard to get employed after being incarcerated. Coordinator Dennis Wilkinson says these men and women are highly motivated.

"And they really want to change their lives, they really want to move forward and they really want a chance," Wilkinson says. "We're asking employers to give people an opportunity to prove what they can do."

Wilkinson says several Wichita businesses have agreed to have booths at the fair.

"We’ll have over 20 employers that will hire formerly incarcerated people. We’re going to have motivational speakers, a resume building workshop, we’re going to have interviews skills workshops," he says. "One of the challenges is, how do you deal with your criminal history on a job interview? And that's one thing we’re going to help people with."

The event will give away business clothing for use during interviews. Wilkinson says the job fair targets the formerly incarcerated but will serve anyone who is looking for work.

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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.

To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.

Carla Eckels is Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW. She produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show Soulsations and brings stories of race and culture to The Range with the monthly segment In the Mix. Carla was inducted into The Kansas African American Museum's Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work in broadcast/journalism.