Help I.C.E. Support the Colorado Springs Community
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) offers individuals just coming home from prison the ongoing support necessary to build career capital and financial stability.
Mission: We provide immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to individuals who have recently returned home from incarceration. Our vision is that anyone with a criminal record who wants to work has the preparation and support needed to find a job and stay connected to the labor force. We believe that everyone, regardless of their past, deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their family, and their communities. Read More.
Model
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Job-Readiness Training: CEO’s program begins with a paid orientation to ensure individuals have what they need to begin work immediately. During the orientation, CEO staff assist each participant in assembling all documents necessary for employment, ensure eligibility for benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and provide appropriate training and PPE for our work crews. Following orientation, participants will continue to engage in workshops and one-on-one support covering crucial digital skills, financial literacy, and workplace and communication best practices.
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Transitional Employment: Participants graduate from P2E and immediately begin paid transitional work. Crews provide services for CEO partners that include state and local governments and community-based organizations. Participants work four days per week on transitional work crews and receive on-the-job training and coaching from their site supervisors. At the end of every shift, participants are paid and given feedback using CEO’s digital assessment tool, Passport to Success (PTS). Participants generally spend two to four months on a CEO crew before securing unsubsidized employment.
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Job Coaching & Placement: CEO participants receive a full suite of vocational services while working on a transitional work crew to help them become Job-Start Ready. Each participant is matched with a job coach who assists them with mock interviews, creates resumes, provides guidance throughout the job search process, and refers them to additional support services. Once Job-Start Ready, a CEO business account manager refers CEO participants to employers for interviews based on employer needs and the participants' skills identified during assessments with job coaches.
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Retention Services: Once a participant finds a job, they begin receiving personalized job-retention services from CEO staff including workplace counseling, crisis management, and career planning. With this continuity of services, CEO aims to support participants in establishing a long-term connection to the labor force. Additionally, CEO offers Rapid Rewards, monthly bonuses that incentivize individuals who meet progressive employment retention milestones.