Education and Workforce Business Roundtable and Partners Mark First Anniversary of Second Chance Business Coalition

Apr 27, 2022

Washington - One year ago today, Business Roundtable announced its role as a founding partner of the Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC), a cross-sector coalition committed to expanding second chance employment and advancement practices within companies. The Coalition supports its member companies by highlighting best practices, providing resources and facilitating pilot initiatives through which members can test new hiring and advancement approaches for individuals with criminal records.

Nearly 80 million Americans have a criminal record. More than 600,000 incarcerated individuals leave prison each year. Most of them face barriers to employment upon their release, limiting their opportunities for economic security and employers’ chance to tap qualified job candidates. For the millions of individuals convicted of a crime who did not go to prison, a job has similar benefits and can keep justice-involved individuals from reoffending. The business community has a critical role to play in helping to provide employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a criminal record.

“We believe in the power of second chances and that it is incumbent upon the business community to provide opportunities for Americans reentering the workforce,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines and Chair of Business Roundtable Education and Workforce Committee. “As one of the newest members to join the Business Roundtable and 41 other major employers at the Second Chance Business Coalition, we support finding new inclusive paths to employment, expanding access to economic security and upward mobility for more American families, and creating a talent pool for in-demand careers.”

The SCBC continues to gain momentum and grow its membership, which currently includes 42 large employers. Sixty percent of coalition member companies report having a second chance employment program underway, and all members are committed to exploring opportunities to expand their current practices. Coalition members, comprised primarily of Business Roundtable member companies, understand the critical role the business community plays in providing employment opportunities to individuals with a criminal record, supporting their reentry into the workforce and expanding their inclusive hiring strategies.

Since its launch in 2021, SCBC has: hosted a series of spotlight sessions for member companies to discuss critical topics of interest with their peers and outside experts; launched a legal considerations working group; connected member companies with second chance internship providers and training programs; launched a regional pilot program through which companies can learn new approaches to second chance employment; released a publicly available stakeholder map to help employers connect with supporting organizations nationwide; and released a practical onramps guide with suggestions for how companies can build second chance programs.

 “Business Roundtable is committed to helping our members build a diverse and inclusive workforce, including by advancing second chances,” said Joshua Bolten, CEO of Business Roundtable. “As a Second Chance Business Coalition founding partner, we know second chance employment not only provides access to in-demand, good-paying jobs for Americans with a criminal record but also reduces their risk of recidivism and allows them to fairly compete for job opportunities. We are encouraged by the SCBC’s successful first year and, with much more work to be done, we look forward to supporting the Coalition for years to come.”

The Second Chance Business Coalition is co-chaired by Business Roundtable members Eaton Chairman & CEO Craig Arnold and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman & CEO Jamie Dimon. The Roundtable and four other partner organizations lead the Coalition, including the Society for Human Resource Management, Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, Stand Together and the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Pivot Program.

The full membership of the SCBC includes Accenture, Allstate, American Airlines, Aon, AT&T, Bank of America, Best Buy, BorgWarner, Cisco, CVS Health, Deloitte, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Eaton, Gap Inc., General Motors, The Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kelly Services, Koch Industries, Kroger, LKQ Corporation, Lowe’s, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Micron Technology, PayPal, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Prudential Financial, Inc., Randstad, Schnitzer Steel Industries, Target, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Union Pacific, United Airlines, Verizon Communications, Virgin, Visa, Vistra Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walmart.

For more information on the Second Chance Business Coalition, please visit www.secondchancebusinesscoalition.org.

For large employers interested in joining the Coalition, please email info@secondchancebusinesscoalition.org.

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