Monday, November 25, 2013


Happy Thanksgiving!

The offices of The Next Step/WOTC Solutions will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

New corrections systems are gaining access to CoFFE!, our Cooperative of Felon Friendly Employers every day!

And why wouldn't they?  The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is the only effective tool applicable to all recently released felons finding work, and it's the tool we use to convince employers to give felons from participating agencies/facilities a better chance at finding work.  (Fyi, we have found the federal bonding incentive applicable to all felons in 2013 to actually be a disincentive to hiring a felon.)  The sad truth is that currently very few employers who do hire a felon are successful in obtaining the credit--the best data puts that at less than 1%.  This means the in practical terms the WOTC incentive is badly underutilized toward its goal of helping felons find work.

The good news is we correct that underutilization in areas where corrections systems who join us are working to help their populations find work.  We are proud of this win-win-win-win situation we have developed:

  • Felons seeking work WIN by getting some much needed help:
  • Corrections/reentry staff WIN by getting an innovative, free, and much and needed tool to help them with one of the hardest problems they have to contend with;
  • Employers willing to give a felon a chance WIN by actually getting the financial reward they've earned by being willing to hire that felon;
  • Society at large WINS by motivated workers with a felony on their record more efficiently find employment and begin meeting their financial and familial obligations and staying out of jail! 
If you know of an agency that could use this tool just tell them to check out our website and we will show them how easily they can WIN by joining in!