THOUSANDS OF MISSOURIANS..
ALSO, ADULT MOTORCYCLISTS WILL
NO LONGER BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A
HELMET.
A BILL TO IMPROVE WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT WAS ALSO APPROVED,
WHICH IS
ANOTHER ISSUE THE GOVERNOR HAS
STRONGLY ADVOCATED FOR IN THE
PAST.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON
THESE BILLS ON OUR WEBSITE
OZARKS FIRST DOT COM
LAUREN
WE'RE CONTINUING OUR COURAGEOUS
CONVERSATION SERIES "NOBODY'S
BUSINESS" THIS
MORNING...
JOE
AND IT'S BECOME CLEAR THAT
FINDING EMPLOYEES TO FILL OPEN
POSITIONS IS A CHALLENGE.
LAUREN
BUT THERE IS ONE POPULATION
THAT'S OFTEN OVERLOOKED FOR JOB
OPENINGS. I SPOKE TO TWO
EX-CONS, WHO MAY VERY WELL BE
THE FUTURE OF THE WORKFORCE.
LAUREN BARNAS REPORTING:
Brandon Gerhardt/Co-Owner,
Howliday Inn:
"Funny story...
THAT PROBABLY DEPENDS ON YOUR
SENSE OF HUMOR.
Brandon Gerhardt/Co-Owner,
Howliday Inn:
....I actually trained the
judge's dog that I went in front
of
several times. Now I'm pretty
good friends with him and his
wife"
BRANDON GERHARDT IS ALWAYS UP
FOR A GOOD
LAUGH -- EVEN AT HIS OWN
EXPENSE.
Brandon Gerhardt/Co-Owner,
Howliday Inn:
"That's not what I planned on
saying at all... I was
nervous...
laughter"
AFTER ALL, HE HAS A LOT TO SMILE
ABOUT THESE
DAYS.
GERHARDT AND HIS WIFE ARE THE
NEW OWNERS OF
THE HOWLIDAY INN IN ROGERSVILLE.
IT'S A DOG BOARDING AND TRAINING
FACILITY... WHERE
THE SERVICE DOG NON-PROFIT FOR
VETERANS, K9'S FOR CAMO, FIRST
GOT ITS LEGS.
BUT CHURCH... IS WHERE THE
FOUNDER AND FORMER
BUILDING OWNER... PUT FAITH IN
GERHARDT.
Brandon Gerhardt/Co-Owner,
Howliday Inn:
"My young adult life I got in
trouble, started running with
the
wrong crowd and doing drugs.
That led to prison a few times.
The last time when I went to
prison I got out in 2011. I met
John at church, and I've been
working for him, I've been his
lead trainer for over four
years."
Josh Kutz/Recently employed
ex-felon:
"We look to other ways to make
money. Having a job is an
important part of staying out"
THAT'S JOSH KUTZ, WHO'S HAD
SIMILAR PROBLEMS
WITH DRUGS.
AS OF APRIL FIRST... HE'S HOPING
HIS STINTS IN
PRISON ARE OVER... NOW THAT HE
HAS A JOB LINED UP.
Josh Kutz/Recently employed
ex-felon:
"I've pretty much been
incarcerated on and off 15 out
of
the last 20 years, and it's been
a hard road"
THROUGH THE MISSOURI JOB
CENTER'S "APPLY
PROGRAM" -- KUTZ FOUND AN HONEST
WAY TO MAKE A LIVING... WORKING
IN WASTEWATER DISPOSAL.
Josh Kutz/Recently employed
ex-felon:
"A stack of books about
knee-tall... it's pretty
extensive... a lot
of math"
THE CAREER CENTER SENDS
INTERESTED
EMPLOYERS INTO THE OZARKS
CORRECTIONAL CENTER BEFORE
PRISONERS ARE EXPECTED
TO BE RELEASED... TO START THE
INTERVIEW PROCESS.
BECKY THOMAS, THE CO-OWNER OF
THIRD-STREET
SPORTSWEAR IN OZARK... HAS DONE
PLENTY OF HER OWN INDEPENDENT
INTERVIEWING... BUT FINDS
INDUSTRIAL SEAMSTRESSES, LIKE
OTHER SKILLED LABOR, IS HARD TO
COME BY.
Becky Thomas/Co-Owner,
ThirdStreet Sportswear:
"If you go down any street in SW
MO you're gonna find now hiring
signs at various businesses. I
have one, the mechanic next door
probably has one, the restaurant
down the street has
one."
TURNS OUT, THE WOMEN'S PRISON IN
VANDALIA... WAS
THE BARB-WIRE FENCED ROCK --
SOME OF THE TALENT SHE NEEDED --
WAS HIDING UNDER.
THE PRISON OFFERS A COMMERCIAL
SEWING
CLASS... AND THOUGH NEARLY ALL
OF THIRD- STREET'S SEWERS HAVE
WORKED THERE FOR
DECADES... AND HAVE NO CRIMINAL
BACKGROUND,
THOMAS IS OPEN TO LOOKING IN
NON-
TRADITIONAL PLACES TO FIND
EMPLOYEES, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE
THE SKILLS AND WORK ETHIC.
Becky Thomas/Co-Owner,
ThirdStreet Sportswear:
"they're going to be coming back
to the community, so the big
question is, how do you want
them?"
THOMAS ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS OF
HIRING AN
EX-CON HEAD ON.
Becky Thomas/Co-Owner,
ThirdStreet Sportswear:
"I haven't had anybody steal
from me, I haven't had anybody
threaten me. they're just like
anybody else, and in some ways
they're really open about their
background"
Josh Kutz/Recently employed
ex-felon:
"I got something --- I got a lot
to lose"
AND GERHARDT -- IS TAKING EVERY
CRITICISM--
Brandon Gerhardt/Co-Owner,
Howliday Inn:
"I'm sure some people are a
little on-edge about working
with
someone with a shady
background...
AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, AND
TO LAUGH.
Brandon Gerhardt/Co-Owner,
Howliday Inn:
...but at the same time,
everyone loves a good success
story."
*nats - Brandon training Otto*
IN SPRINGFIELD, LAUREN BARNAS
OZARKS FIRST.
*NATS - GOOD BOY, GOOD JOB*
LAUREN
THE LAST INSTALLMENT OF OUR
COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION SERIES
AIRS SUNDAY NIGHT AT 10.
WE WILL SHOW YOU HOW A LOCAL
COLLEGE SAW A NEED TO FILL
JOBS... AND CAME UP WITH A NEW
PROGRAM TO HELP.
AND IT'S JOB SECTOR THAT AFFECTS
AN IMPORTANT COMMODITY IN YOUR
LIFE.
LAUREN
THIS SATURDAY, PEOPLE LIVING IN
THE PHELPS GROVE NEIGHBORHOOD