Companies looking for skilled, motivated employees just might find them in what may seem like an unlikely place: behind bars.

State and local programs – to provide job training, tax credits, even insurance protection – are available to employers willing to make the investment in jobs seekers who could use a break, said Rodney Carr, a workforce development representative at the Lawrence Workforce Center.

“The employers may be getting a darn good employee that had a small setback and messed up,” Carr said. “Now they just need employers who will work with them and help get them back into the proper mode.”

Employers interested in investigating the possibilities are invited to a free seminar from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 9. The event will be conducted in the training room at the jail, 3601 E. 25th St., and include a continental breakfast and a tour.

Employers will learn about programs intended to help them meet staffing needs while assisting people living with the stigma of incarceration.

“Bottom line: We have a lot of talented people in here with a lot of skills who just need, in our mind, a chance to get it right after we’ve provided them with the opportunities and the tools to do that,” said Undersheriff Kenny Massey, who oversees jail operations and will be a presenter at the seminar.

The seminar will review:

¢ The Douglas County Reentry Program, open to inmates convicted of misdemeanors and slated to be kept in jail for at least 30 days. The program helps inmates address issues related to substance abuse, parenting, anger management and mental health, and officials also help them get or retain a Social Security card, birth certificate and state ID card – essentials for obtaining employment.

¢ The Kansas Federal Bonding Program, which provides six months of insurance to employers who have hired someone who otherwise cannot be covered by commercial insurance. The policies – or bonds – protect against theft, embezzlement and other problems up to $5,000.

¢ Work Opportunity Tax Credits, which provide up to $2,400 in credits on businesses’ federal income taxes for an employee who had been incarcerated in prison at any point during the past year.

To register for the seminar, contact Rodney Carr at the Lawrence Workforce Center: 840-9675, or rcarr@kansascommerce.com