Second Chances Employer Academy
Building Business Value Through Purposeful Second Chances.
Second Chances Employer Academy
A one-day, employer-driven training that equips HR leaders and supervisors to confidently implement second-chance hiring and strengthen retention, performance, and talent pipelines.
This information packed program is a practical, research-based training for talent acquisition managers and supervisors who approach second chance hiring as a sound business strategy—balancing risk, leveraging incentives, and partnering wisely to create real opportunity without turning your workplace into a social service agency
Structured for real results.
Three practical sessions deliver the core skills you need to evaluate risk, identify work-ready candidates, and design a second-chance strategy that fits your business. A candid panel discussion brings lessons from employers already doing this well. Then a hands-on workout session helps you apply what you’ve learned to your own hiring needs.
This foundations training for human resource managers and supervisors frames second chance hiring as a business decision and not a social work obligation. It is research-based, balancing legitimate company limits while encouraging responsible risk taking and meaningful stewardship.
Source the right candidates.
Identify where qualified applicants actually come from. Learn how to distinguish candidates who are work-ready now from those who need further development, and how to evaluate which community pipelines consistently produce dependable, employer-aligned talent.
Hire with confidence.
Move beyond checklists and pressure campaigns. Understand how to read justice-system histories in a way that aligns with actual job requirements. Learn to interpret prison job assignments as transferable skills, evaluate background checks, assess job-role risk, and document individualized assessments that reduce negligent-hiring exposure and support defensible business decisions.
Hear from experts leading this work.
See what works—and what fails—in real workplaces. Industry leaders will show how properly selected and well-supported second-chance hires can match or outperform traditional applicants in retention, reliability, and motivation when chosen through a disciplined, employer-driven process.
Build the Blueprint
Translate best practices into an actionable plan. Define what second chance hiring is—and what it is not. Fit design choices to your company’s size, industry, risk tolerance, and workforce needs. Identify the operational requirements and support structures that make second chance hiring viable, sustainable, and profitable for your business.
Unlike many Fair Chance or Recovery-Ready trainings (which push heavy culture change, on-site Naloxone, or integrating treatment schedules), this curriculum:
- Keeps the primary role of the employer clear.
- Encourages community partnerships to handle issues outside the employer’s scope.
- Integrates practical tools such as WOTC into the learning sequence
- Emphasizes business value + risk awareness while defining an opportunity for corporate stewardship.
Earn Four SHRM Recertification Credits in One Information-Packed Day
Who Should Attend?
This program is ideal for HR teams and frontline supervisors who make day-to-day decisions about candidate readiness, job-role risk, and onboarding—and for organizations that are either exploring second-chance hiring for the first time or seeking to formalize and strengthen an existing practice.
- HR Directors, Talent Acquisition Managers, and frontline supervisors across all industries
- Companies facing labor shortages or high turnover
- Businesses seeking reliable, cost-effective talent pipelines while managing compliance and liability risk
- Organizations looking to build a structured second-chance hiring policy rather than relying on ad-hoc practices
- Employers navigating rapid growth or seasonal workforce demands, especially those needing steady entry-level talent
- Companies in Chattanooga’s key sectors—manufacturing, logistics, construction, hospitality, and healthcare—**where consistent staffing is mission-critical
- Small and mid-sized businesses without large HR departments that need clear, practical guidance for evaluating second-chance candidates
- Any employer exploring creative solutions to stabilize retention and reduce overtime, burnout, or reliance on temp labor
Meet Your Trainer
Program Pricing & Registration
Thanks to the generosity of the Schattner Foundation, we’re able to offer this program at a significantly reduced tiered rate that makes research-based employer-focused training accessible for companies of all sizes.
Every participating company also receives an invitation to our Executive Briefing Breakfast, a focused session designed to orient senior leaders to the business case and strategic value of second chance hiring.
Please note that you will not be asked for payment when you register. This gives your company time to determine who else will attend so you can qualify for the “First In” discount. A single consolidated invoice will be sent prior to the training date.
| Thru 4/27/26 | Thru 5/3/26 | Thru 5/4/26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
First In* |
$1 |
$1 |
$90 |
|
Co-workers |
$45 |
$60 |
$90 |
|
Solo |
$60 |
$75 |
$90 |
*To qualify for the “First In” discount, at least one additional person from your company must register. We delay invoicing so you can secure your place now and allow colleagues time to register.
Executive Briefing Breakfast
Your attendance entitles your company’s president—or another C-level executive of their choosing—to an exclusive, high-level Executive Briefing Breakfast. This session gives senior leaders a concise, data-driven overview of the business case, operational implications, and strategic value of second chance hiring. Executives receive the evidence, risk considerations, and competitive advantages necessary to make informed decisions, align internal expectations, and support HR in building a program that is realistic, sustainable, and profitable. The briefing ensures leadership is prepared, united, and ready to champion the initiative from day one.
Register Now
Seats are limited—secure your spot early and maximize your savings!
- If you would like to speak with someone about our Second Chances Employer Academy, please call David Chalker at +1 202 560-4740.
We are grateful for the generosity of the Schattner Foundation, whose support makes it possible to offer this training at a significantly reduced cost to employers. Their investment ensures that companies in our region can access high-quality, research-based instruction that strengthens workforce pipelines and expands opportunity in a sustainable, business-aligned way.
Employer Declaration Brochure
