'Felon-friendly' job fair returning to Chattanooga

A "felon-friendly" two-day job fair will be returning to Chattanooga in February for what Troy Rogers, the public safety coordinator for the city of Chattanooga, is calling "returning talent."

"These are individuals who have had something on their record and probably had a hard time getting a job," Rogers said, adding that while the pandemic may have forced a pause, it hasn't stopped the project's purpose. "It slowed a little bit because of COVID - we're back."

It all began when a man approached Rogers and told him about the challenges he was facing trying to find employment.

"I had a guy come to my office one day, and he said that he had [been] 17 years in prison," Rogers said in a telephone interview from his office. "And he was struggling trying to find a job".

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From there, Rogers began contacting people to see if they could help. Since then, Rogers has made it his mission to continue providing assistance to men and women who have left the prison system and need to reintegrate into society and thrive by organizing "a new life job fair."

Rogers said part of the first day of the job fair is showing people how to dress, style their hair - with barbers and stylists available - as well as teaching them the art of conversation, something Rogers himself has experienced difficulties with in the past.

"I struggled, at one point, with communication," Rogers said. "I didn't understand how to have an intense conversation without getting upset."

(READ MORE: Hamilton County Sheriff's Office hosts inmate job fair)

Rogers said there will be mentorship in how to use body language and how to adjust tone of voice and other methods of proper and professional communication to secure employment.

It is Rogers' hope that by continuing to work with formerly incarcerated individuals, potential employers will see the value in hiring those who are willing to work hard - regardless of their record.

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Erik Zilen of Niedlov's Bakery and Café in Chattanooga has six formerly incarcerated people on his staff.

His motivation to hire them: his son and his friend. They were having a conversation while on a field trip, and his son's friend wondered why his dad, a "good dad," couldn't have a car, or a house or even a bakery.

According to Zilen, his son said that he could, all his friend needed to do was ask him to own these things.

"His friend looks at him [and said], 'No, I don't think he can,'" Zilen said in an email. "[My son's friend said], 'He's been in jail.' Then [my son] quickly corrects him - 'no, no, no, only bad guys go to jail.'"

Zilen said after his son's friend listed all the ways his father was a good dad, "at this point, I began to see both boys trying to make sense of this, trying to reason why a 'good dad' had been in jail."

What really hit home for Zilen was when his son's friend, at such a young age, knew the challenges that the formerly-incarcerated face once out of the system.

"It's at this point our bakery committed to understand our inherent opportunity and try to offer it to those who have (in my son's terms) been labeled bad guys," Zilen said.

Zilen went on to say he has never had any issue with work ethic and motivation and added training can be provided to anyone who wants to work.

"They train like everyone else who hasn't baked before," Zilen said. "Part of our job is to train bakers. Our bakery would not be what it is today without the input of employees and managers who have had criminal records. Everyone comes from a narrative that has been shaped by their life experiences. I just don't see the benefit in refusing an individual's opportunity based on a narrative I may judge 'risky' or 'criminal.'"

Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.