DALLAS, Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Virgin Hotels CEO James Bermingham will take the stage at the company’s Positive Justice event to announce Virgin Hotels’ participation in Unlock Potential (UP), a groundbreaking hiring program, coordinated by Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, designed to provide career opportunities for young adults most at-risk of becoming involved in the justice system.
“As business leaders, we have a responsibility to take action – to not only improve the lives of individuals, but to make our communities safer and better places to live, work, and do business,” said Bermingham. “Through Unlock Potential, we can help create employment pathways for at-risk young adults that will strengthen our business and help end the prison pipeline.”
Bermingham will speak alongside a panel of leaders from JP Morgan, Ben & Jerry’s, Indeed, and Virgin’s non-profit foundation Virgin Unite, on how employers across Texas can engage in criminal justice reform – from changing their own hiring practices to advocating for new state policies.
Access to gainful employment is a key determinant in whether someone falls into the justice system. UP companies are committed to advancing equity and social mobility, disrupting the poverty-to-prison pipeline, and inclusively growing their workforces. By working with community-based organizations on the ground to help recruit these young people into their workforces, UP businesses are also looking to tap into diverse and underutilized talent pools. The program was recently named a Top 10 Most Influential Project for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion by Project Management Institute.
Virgin Hotels will begin to hire young adults, aged 16-24, who are at-risk of entering the prison pipeline and have experienced one or more additional risk-factors for adult incarceration. They will focus their hiring on Dallas and Nashville.
National participating employers include Ben & Jerry’s, Sam’s Club, Delta Air Lines, and Greyston Bakery. Unlock Potential, funded by Walmart, is a collaborative partnership between the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice and national non-profit Persevere, who are working with community-based organizations to ensure recruits receive wraparound service provision and care necessary to make the most of the career opportunities provided. To learn more, visit www.unlock-potential.org.
Media Contact:
Ben Cumming
Communications Director, Responsible Business Initiative for Justice
[email protected]
+44 7891 551 514 / +1 213 370 0222
SOURCE Responsible Business Initiative for Justice
