‘This project is about ensuring that no one is left on the sidelines—especially individuals who are ready and qualified to work but face unfair and systemic discrimination’
Four organisations are teaming up for a national research initiative that aims to ensure fair and inclusive hiring practices for jobseekers with criminal records.
The project is a collaboration between the Odette School of Business, the John Howard Society of Ontario, Saint Mary’s University, and St. Francis Xavier University, with funding provided by the Future Skills Centre’s Skills Horizons grant stream under the Government of Canada’s Future Skills program.
“In the face of a rapidly changing labour market, it’s more important than ever to recognise and draw from the talent that already exists in Canada,” says Christin Cullen, CEO of the John Howard Society of Ontario. “This project is about ensuring that no one is left on the sidelines—especially individuals who are ready and qualified to work but face unfair and systemic discrimination because of their past.”
In 2023, the Ontario government announced its plan to invest $160 million in the Skills Development Fund (SDF), aimed at helping people on social assistance and those with criminal records find work.
Nearly four million Canadians live with a criminal record, many of whom possess valuable skills and experience but face significant barriers to employment, said the Odette School of Business and its partners in a joint press release.
In particular, the new research will focus on identifying and dismantling these barriers in six key industries: healthcare, finance, construction trades, manufacturing, customer service, and food services.
“Through this research, we aim to gain valuable insights from employers in key industries, particularly those at the forefront of both embracing and grappling with inclusive hiring,” said Kemi Anazodo, assistant professor at the Odette School of Business, University of Windsor. “These insights will deepen our understanding and inform strategies that are tailored to specific contexts and grounded in the realities that employers and jobseekers face.”
The initiative will involve in-depth research with employers across Canada, targeted education on fair chance hiring for all candidates with criminal records—particularly Black and Indigenous applicants—and the development of practical, industry-specific tools to support more inclusive workforce practices. The findings will be made available to employers nationwide through symposiums and an online platform.
“Advancing fair chance hiring is essential to building a resilient labour supply and an inclusive economy for all Canadians,” said Noel Baldwin, executive director of the Future Skills Centre. “This initiative represents an important step toward strengthening Canada’s workforce and economy by ensuring that all individuals—including those with criminal records—can contribute meaningfully to our shared prosperity.”
Many employers are willing to hire people with criminal histories, and this can be beneficial for the workers, the company, and society as a whole, according to Shawn D. Bushway, adjunct senior policy researcher and professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy.
“When a company hires someone with a criminal history record, the company might benefit from having a good employee—but society also benefits from lower rates of reoffending among people who have jobs and by reducing the costs associated with additional crime,” he says. “Government incentives to employers who hire people with convictions can help employers share in the societal benefit that they are creating.”
According to a report from Working Chance, twice as many managers (45%) would hypothetically recruit a formerly incarcerated individual in 2022 – up from just 25% in 2010.
