Among the people who turn to career development services, those with a criminal record face obstacles that are specific to their situation. A criminal record and lack of recognized qualifications hinder many individuals who wish to find fulfilling employment. Yet many of these individuals have developed skills during their criminal activities that could be useful in a legal job.
Pariseau and Supeno looked into the issue of recognizing the skills developed through criminal activities that, formally, cannot be written on a resume or recognized by an attestation. The researchers recognize that people with criminal records are often stigmatized by employers, which hinders their social and workplace integration. Pariseau and Supeno aim to foster recognition of the value of these individuals by establishing how certain skills acquired during criminal activities can be exploited in the search for legal employment.
Five men aged between 21 and 40 and with criminal records took part in the study. Three of the men were working: one was self-employed, another worked for a refrigeration company, and the third carried out inventories for different businesses. Two were still looking for work at the time of the interviews. All had been involved in drug-related activities. The research team conducted semi-structured interviews with the participants, asking them about their former criminal activities, their job-seeking activities, and the transfer of their learning from one environment to another.
Criminal Learnings
The knowledge acquired by participants during criminal activities is varied. Participants reported having developed interpersonal skills to maintain a network of contacts and create bonds with colleagues, suppliers, and/or employees. Others developed imitation techniques to learn by themselves the behaviours expected in delicate situations. All participants stressed the importance of ensuring the quality of the product sold to avoid customer dissatisfaction.
All participants said that having a criminal record affects their chances of getting a job. Participants indicated they had to mobilize skills learned from their criminal past to land a job and overcome the stigma surrounding their status as a criminalized person, especially during job interviews. For example, participants claimed to be good salespeople, to have a good knowledge of the city, to know how to manage money, and to be able to work under pressure. Others used their analytical skills to research the workplace where they want to be hired so that they can name the qualities that seem to be prized by the company during the interview.
Potential Avenues of Intervention
Recognizing the skills acquired through illegal activity could have a positive impact on reintegration initiatives for people with a criminal record, and can be done without normalizing criminal behaviour. CDPs can play an active role in this recognition given their privileged access to clients with a criminal record. For example, opening the discussion on the possibility of using skills learned through criminal activities as potential resources to achieve an employment goal may be one way of overcoming the stigma of a criminal record.
These reflections could have an impact on the social and labour market integration of people with criminal records, helping to reduce the risk of recidivism. Lastly, practitioners’ recognition (but not endorsement) of what has been learned could reinforce individuals’ sense of self-efficacy and foster a less judgmental attitude towards their experiences and learning.
Responses
Some of my Job Search students have been criminalized from advocacy for oppressed groups, (leader of women’s movement in Afghanistan), or (defending land of Wetsuwe’ten nation)
https://amnesty.ca/activism-guide/wetsuweten-campaign-updates-first-prisoner-of-conscience-and-key-legal-developments/
I believe we have be impartial representing the under employed or unemployed