Criminal Background Requirements Q & A

1) Does this Career Program accept people with Criminal Backgrounds?

Generally No.   Certain petty misdemeanors such as moving violations and parking tickets will not disqualify applicants from participating in the program.  We are not able to accept an applicant with a felony.

2) Why don’t you allow people with criminal backgrounds into your program?  Don’t they deserve a chance too?

Employment laws in healthcare and finance govern who is eligible to work in healthcare and finance/banking.   Train to Work can not accept people into the program who are ineligible to work in these industries.

     --Project for Pride in Living (PPL) strongly believes in providing a path to employment for all people.  Two employment training programs--PPL SHOP and PPL INDUSTRIES—are designed specifically to assist those whose criminal background presents a special challenge to their obtaining employment.   For more information please visit PPL’s website at www.ppl-inc.org.

3) How do I know if my criminal background will disqualify me from the Train to Work program?

We suggest you contact the Human Resources department of the TTW business partner for whom you may be interested in working.  Ask them whether they would hire someone with your specific background.  We do not accept people into the program unless they have a realistic chance of being hired by our business partners.   

4) Will you run a criminal background check on me if I apply for the program?

Yes, criminal background checks are required.

5) How far back will you check?

Our criminal background checks generally go back 7-10 years.  However, certain charges—even from 20 or 30 years ago—will show up on a background check.   On any job Application it is always better to be honest up front than to have a potential employer be surprised by something on a background check.   

6) What are some examples of criminal backgrounds that are unacceptable for the Train to Work program?  Examples of unacceptable charges include but are not limited to:   Theft, Fraud,  Assault, and Criminal Sexual Conduct.

Updated 06/14/07 by SL