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This article was written for people that are looking for guidance and information that will help with finding jobs for felons in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Looking for a job is never easy. For a justice-involved person, it is even more challenging. In an effort to help folks just like you, our team has contacted over 1,000 companies to find out what their hiring practices are and what their stance is on hiring former offenders. We have people on our team who have been incarcerated, so we really understand your challenges and will give you the benefit of our real-life experience.
Fort Wayne is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the Great Lakes region. They also have a number of Fortune 500 companies that have invested over $3.2 Billion in the area since 2014. Fort Wayne is home to many major corporations, higher education institutions, and hospitals. There are a lot of job opportunities in the area!
This article will give you some specific local businesses that are the most likely companies that hire felons in Fort Wayne. You should also study the rest of our website because it will give you a lot of great information on how to land a job and overcome challenges you face as a justice-involved person.
Jobs that hire felons in Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne is the second-largest city in Indiana, with over 260,000 people. It is second only in population to Indianapolis and is known by several monikers such as the Summit City, the City of Churches, the All-American City, and the City that Saved Itself (post-1982 flood). Fort Wayne has also been recognized as one of the country’s most livable cities.
To start your search, we recommend that you check out our great job search tool. Use the different fields below (job type, industry, etc.) to focus your search for jobs that hire felons in Fort Wayne.
Top companies that hire felons in Fort Wayne
As someone with a record, you may have trouble finding a job that matches your skill set and level of experience. If this is an issue for you, then we suggest that you try focusing on entry-level positions. Entry-level positions have the lowest requirements and are the most likely to accept people with criminal records.
Another great option is to check out staffing agencies. They always have lots of jobs and jobs that require little to no education or experience. They are also an excellent place to find immediate work. There are a lot of employment agency jobs for felons in Fort Wayne.
The next section of this article will give you a list of companies that are likely to hire felons in Fort Wayne below. Click on the company name to go directly to its section, or just continue to see all of them.
Anyone looking for a new job needs to have a good and up-to-date resume. Our website has an outstanding and complete guide to making a resume for people with a record.
Sweetwater Sound
Sweetwater is one of the largest online retailers of musical instruments and pro audio equipment in the US. It is headquartered in Fort Wayne and has over 2,000 employees. If you are into music, then this may be a good place to check out!
Some promising jobs for former felons:
- Music Store Sales
- Client Systems Support Technician
- Marketplace Specialist
- Product Support Specialist
- Guest Services
Shambaugh and Son
Shambaugh & Son is a construction and engineering services company. They are the largest MEP construction services contractor in Indiana and the third-largest specialty contractor in the US. They have been in business since 1926, are based in Fort Wayne, and have over 1,300 employees locally.
Some good opportunities for former felons:
- Inventory Control Specialist
- Entry Level Fire Protection Designer
- Commercial Maintenance Technician
- Building Engineer
- Janitorial Worker
Fort Wayne Metals
Fort Wayne Metals is a major wire and cable manufacturer. They also develop alloys, materials, and other related products. Fort Wayne Metals has a large location in Fort Wayne and employ over 1,000 people in the area. They have a lot of good job opportunities.
Some promising jobs for former felons:
- Entry Level Production
- Melt Technician
- Production Inspector
- Production: Utility
- Production: Wiredrawer
Dana
Dana is a leading supplier of integrated drivetrain and electrified propulsion systems for passenger vehicles. They also supply original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket. If you are into cars and/or vehicles, then this is a good company to look at.
Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Fixture Repair
- Material Technician
- Machine Repair
- Maintenance Technician
- Operator
Kroger Co.
Kroger is one of the largest retail companies in the United States and a Fortune 500 company List. They operate over 2,000 supermarkets, 700 convenience stores, 300 jewelry stores, and 30 manufacturing plants. There are over 200 Kroger-owned supermarkets in Texas, and 85 of those are in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. As with any major grocery chain, they have a lot of different jobs and many that are entry level. Grocery stores are always looking for good workers!
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Retail Clerk
- Grocery Clerk
- E-Commerce Clerk
- Front End Lead/Cashier
- Customer Service Associate
BFGoodrich
BFGoodrich is a large tire manufacturing and distribution company. Originally part of the Goodrich Corporation, it was acquired in 1990 by Michelin. Prior to the sale, BFGoodrich was the first American tire manufacturer to produce radial tires. They have locations all over the world, but have a large facility in Fort Wayne that employs over 1,900 local folks.
Some promising jobs for former felons:
- Product Function Engineer
- Service Technician
- Material TDM
- Customer Service Specialist
- Shift Manager
Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications is a major telecommunications company and provider of Internet and telephone services in the US. They are large and have locations in the Fort Wayne area with a lot of jobs available, especially in their sales and customer support areas.
Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Customer Service Representative
- Retail Sales
- Inside Sales Representative
- Supply Chain
- Sales Consultant
Sabert
Sabert corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes packaging solutions for food distributors, restaurants, caterers, grocery stores, and national food chains. They were founded in 1983 and operate facilities in New Jersey, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas as well as manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Poland, and China. Sabert employs over 400 people in the Fort Wayne area.
Some promising roles and positions:
- Sales
- Supply Chain
- Receiving Clerk
- Accounts Payable/Receivable
- Maintenance
Indiana Michigan Power
Indiana Michigan Power is an operating unit of American Electric Power (AEP), which is a large investor-owned electric utility in the US. They deliver electricity to more than five million customers in 11 states. They have a variety of jobs and employ nearly 400 people in the Fort Wayne area.
Some promising jobs for former felons:
- Customer Contract Specialist
- Field Sales Representative
- System Analysis
- Equipment Operator
- Facility Operations
Kohl’s
Kohl’s is a large department store retail chain. It is one of the largest department store chains in the US with over 1,100 locations in state except Hawaii. They have a wide variety of jobs and store locations in the Fort Wayne area and northeastern Indiana.
Promising roles and jobs for former felons:
- Retail Sales Associate
- Assistant Store Manager
- Sales Lead
- Stockroom Operations Associate
- Store Support Lead
Trucking jobs for felons in Fort Wayne
The truck driving industry has a long history of hiring people with legal challenges. It is also a great source of jobs due to the high demand for shipping in the US, and many trucking companies will provide free training for starting a career as a trucker.
If you’re looking for trucking jobs for felons in Fort Wayne, here are some companies to check out:
- Old Dominion Freight Line
- Estes Express Lines
- Reilley Trucking Inc.
- Miky Transport Company Inc.
- Buchanan Hauling & Rigging
Warehouse jobs for felons in Fort Wayne
Warehouses are good sources of work. They generally are always looking for Iaborers and have a number of different job opportunities. Non-warehouse companies may also have similar jobs, because most companies with shipping department need warehouse workers.
Here are some of the top warehouse jobs for felons in Fort Wayne:
- Fort Wayne Warehousing and Logistics
- General Mills
- Tristate Warehousing Inc.
- HD Supply Maintenance Warehouse
- Fort Wayne Cross Dock
Temp agency jobs for felons in Fort Wayne
Staffing agencies always have jobs available and are a good place to get hired quickly. One great thing about temp agency jobs for felons in Fort Wayne is that they’ll match you with work that fits your skill set.
Here are some of the best agencies for justice-involved people in the area:
- Hoosier Personnel Staffing, LLC
- Aerotek
- Spherion
- Pro Resources Staffing Services
- Forge Industrial Staffing
- Temporary Solutions Inc.
Second chance and job training programs for felons in Fort Wayne
Indiana does have a state Ban the Box law (Indianapolis Ordinance 671), but it is essentially only for state and government jobs. This leaves private employers a little more free to decide to implement this or not.
If you are looking for some additional assistance for former offenders, there are second chance and job training programs for felons in Fort Wayne and Indiana. These programs provide a variety of resources to help manage everyday life.
Resources for former felons in Fort Wayne:
- Blue Jacket
- Mission: Blue Jacket is positioned to serve adults with learning, developmental, and intellectual disabilities as well as most physical disabilities. Blue Jacket serves anyone with any criminal conviction. Enrollment fee is a one-time fee of $10.00 and Blue Jacket provides the business professional clothing to attend the training and go out of job searches/interviews in the highest level of professional attire.
- Services offered: Clothing and Household, Education, Employment, Legal
- Dismas House
- Mission: We provide housing for those in our community recently released for incarceration with local college students to create a family atmosphere for our residents. We offer a variety of programs to assist our residents in their transition back into society.
- Services offered: Addiction and Recovery, Clothing and Household, Education, Employment, Housing, Mental Health
- RecycleForce
- Mission: RecycleForce, a 501(c)3 organization, is a social enterprise offering some of the most comprehensive and innovative recycling services around while providing life-changing workforce training to formerly incarcerated individuals. Using the revenue generated by its recycling business, RecycleForce is helping formerly incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives by providing gainful employment and comprehensive social services.
- Services offered: Addiction and Recovery, Employment, Mental Health
- Spa Women’s Ministry Home
- Mission: A Christ-centered, residential treatment program that empowers women to address the root causes of life-controlling issues and addictions in order to live productive lives of recovery.
- Services offered: Addiction and Recovery, Housing, Spiritual Services
- Indiana Department of Corrections Re-entry Division
- Mission: The Re-Entry Division, utilizing evidence-based practices, promotes the assessment of each offender’s criminogenic needs and encourages a culture of accountability and collaboration. We value targeted programming to establish a comprehensive Re-Entry model that advocates for a skilled and ready workforce.
- Services offered: Education, Mental Health, Spiritual Services
