Michigan “business leaders are becoming increasingly open to hiring people with a criminal past,” according to an article in the current Washtenaw County Legal News (August 13, 2020, page 3).

“Michigan has often struggled to find people qualified to fill certain jobs, such as skilled trades workers and health care professionals.

“Licensing laws that are structured to prohibit anyone with a criminal past from obtaining a requisite license and screening questions on job applications that rule out anyone with a conviction have deepened the skills gap while leaving a potential source of skilled, trained and work-ready employees untapped ….

“Studies show that people with a criminal past have lower turnover than other employees. And sometimes, training programs they participated in while they were incarcerated or after their release provided them with exactly the skills an employer needs.”