Center for Employment Opportunities Partners with LinkedIn to Bridge Employment and Skills Gap for Justice-Impacted People


Members of the Reentry Population Will Get One-Year Access to the Full Suite of LinkedIn Premium Benefits

CEO Media Contact:
Matt Sutton | [email protected] | (646) 951-4811

May 22, 2024 - The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), the nation's largest reentry employment provider, is building on its partnership with LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, to help thousands of people returning from incarceration secure quality careers through free online learning and networking opportunities. With a constantly shifting technology landscape and AI becoming ingrained in every aspect of work, it's more important than ever for workers to have the right tools, skills, and resources to break through and stand out. This is even more true for justice-impacted job seekers.

To help equip 4,000 members of the reentry population, we are expanding our relationship with LinkedIn by offering them a one-year complimentary subscription to Linkedin Premium. With this subscription, members will have access to tools and insights needed to fast-track their job search and stand out, tap into more than 22,000 LinkedIn Learning courses, and unlock the new AI-powered Premium experience to elevate their careers. LinkedIn’s Fair Chance Filter will also enable members to search for jobs more easily at companies interested in considering applicants with a criminal record.

"Through this partnership with LinkedIn, we are not just offering a resource; we are empowering people to rebuild their lives with the confidence and skills needed to acquire quality careers,” said Dr. Genevieve Rimer, senior director of Inclusive Hiring at CEO. “This initiative will help us in our efforts to create a more inclusive workforce and make a lasting impact for individuals, families, and communities."

CEO will work with over 30 partner organizations across the country to identify eligible job seekers, distribute the LinkedIn Premium codes, and provide guidance on leveraging the platform for career advancement. In addition, CEO will actively seek feedback and conduct research from justice-impacted people across the U.S. with the goal of better understanding the impact and outcome of LinkedIn products and features on the justice-impacted community.

“Investing in and trusting the expertise of leading organizations like CEO is crucial to ensuring that justice-impacted job seekers have the resources they need to navigate today’s workforce,” said Meg Garlinghouse, vice president of Social Impact at LinkedIn.” LinkedIn can serve as a powerful career tool for justice-impacted job seekers, enabling them to create their own narrative, showcase their skills, and build the confidence they need to secure a quality career.”

This initiative builds on the successful partnership between CEO and LinkedIn that began in 2022 to create the first-of-its-kind LinkedIn Learning course, Job Seeking with a Criminal Record. The partnership and course centers on supporting justice-impacted job seekers to overcome critical employment barriers and find success in their search for quality jobs.

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About Center for Employment Opportunities

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively for those recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities across 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring that justice-impacted job seekers have opportunities to achieve social and economic mobility. For more information, please visit https://ceoworks.org.