Denver
Overview
Denver’s Fair Chance Hiring Initiative, funded by a U.S. Department of Labor grant and convened by Breakthrough, shifts employer perceptions and opens pathways for individuals with criminal records to access meaningful employment. The initiative equips businesses with tools and strategies to build skills-first hiring models that strengthen the workforce and local economy.
Convening Organization
Breakthrough leads on-the-ground coordination in Denver, serving as the direct link between employers and community talent. Known for effective reentry programming, Breakthrough ensures that employer engagement is relational, experiential and impact-driven by building connections to trained talent and expert-designed curriculum.
Employer Engagement and Support
The centerpiece is a full-day, in-depth training cohort moving employers from awareness to action. Training covers Fair Chance Hiring Fundamentals , risk mitigation through policy and practice, recruiting with reentry in mind, internal and external communication strategies, building the business and human case, and creating strategic partnerships.
Employer Outcomes
Participating employers receive a custom implementation plan, presentation materials to brief internal teams and senior leaders, and firsthand insight into hiring readiness through mock interviews with program participants. Following the cohort, employers are invited on site for mock interviewing experiences with Breakthrough’s talent pool.
Impact
This facility-based element provides employers direct exposure to the skill, readiness and value that individuals with a criminal record bring to the workforce.
