DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN REENTRY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Client
CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Faculty
Quintin Haynes
Team
Luisanna Sosa Caraballo, Livia Fry, Maoz Lauber, Bria Mathis

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is a national nonprofit organization focused on the workforce reentry process of individuals returning home from prison. CEO operates in 28 cities and has achieved over 34,000 total placements into full-time employment. Serving a large number of participants from marginalized communities, CEO recently established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program. CEO enlisted a team to research supplier diversity and the impact of employer adoption of DEI principles on participants' sense of belonging in the workplace. The team conducted a literature review on workplace DEI and the reentry process, surveyed and interviewed staff and participants, and analyzed employer diversity metrics, participant satisfaction surveys, and public data on Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). The team’s recommendations include the development of a DEI training program, guidelines to prevent discrimination and enhance support for participants, and a supplier diversity framework for the recruitment of MWBEs and employers that embrace DEI principles and best practices.

Capstone Year
2020-2021