U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows Ohio has approximately 278,000 job openings. Among the fields with greatest need for workers is manufacturing. But finding the right employees isn’t easy. The Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Blueprint reports there could be 35,000 manufacturing job openings per year in the state, through 2037.

Employers are going to have to get more creative and open-minded — and be willing to take a chance. That’s where programs such as the Training Assessment Placement Project come in. According to a report by WBNS, the program helps justice-involved individuals find and keep jobs in high-demand fields.

Founder Vicki Miller told WBNS the project was meant to open doors for good workers who might otherwise be overlooked.

“We’ve gotta let them in, or we’re going to keep reincarcerating them,” Miller told the news outlet.

So, the program not only helps with job placement, but also offers six months of post-hiring coaching to keep them on the right track.

Finding a job is an important factor in reducing recidivism rates. It’s a win-win if important jobs are filled AND we are keeping more people from going back behind bars.

For those who have gone through the program, like Abraham Smith, TAPP provides hope.

“People can change,” he told WBNS. “People are out here, and we’re willing.”

Policymakers and community organizations should take a look at TAPP’s model and figure out how to make something similar work in all corners of the Buckeye State.

No community is immune from the slate of factors that have led to one in three American adults having a criminal record. That means we ALL must be willing to focus on what works — for them, and for all of us.