The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has removed the “Were you convicted of a felony?” checkbox that precedes the occupational and construction code licensing applications. Also, all state departments and agencies are being directed to remove the felony question box that precedes job applications for state employment per an executive directive from Governor Rick Snyder. The Governor is also encouraging private employers to move this question to later in the hiring process, or not at all.
The removal of the felony question from the licensing process will allow for more trades to be taught at the Vocational Village. The Vocational Village is a program run by the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) that provides career and technical education through a training program to willing prisoners at correctional facilities in Jackson and Ionia. With regard to the removal of the felony question, Governor Snyder explained:
We have to keep working to reduce barriers to employment, and by modernizing our system to move outside the box, we can offer second chances to many residents who are ready to work and already trained for the exact jobs that employers are desperate to fill.
This article was written by Ryan Hansen, Law Clerk
