Bridging the Workforce Gap
Our Mission
REAL OPPORTUNITIES, REAL IMPACT
The Problem
Two urgent crises are colliding:
- A historic skilled labor shortage: Over 500,000 construction jobs remain unfilled, stalling projects and threatening the future of the trades.
- A sidelined workforce and voting bloc: More than 70 million justice-impacted Americans—many ready to work and become civically involved—remain locked out of opportunity and power.
Justice-impacted individuals face steep, systemic barriers to employment and housing and they are at high risk to face workplace discrimination. Most don’t know their rights. At the same time, trade unions are struggling to fill current demand and recruit the next generation of skilled workers.
Without bold, coordinated action, both crises will deepen. Millions will stay trapped in cycles of low-wage, unstable work—or no work at all—while organized labor will continue to lose strength and reach.
The Solution
So much of the work with the justice impacted community is about pulling kids out of the river.
We have incredible service providers doing that work — one pulls them out, another dries them off, another gives them food and clothes. And that work is essential. It saves lives every single day.
But not many organizations are going upstream to ask why kids are falling into the river in the first place.
That’s where we come in. We’re going up the river. We’re looking at the broken bridge those kids have been walking across — the one full of gaps and cracks that generations have fallen through — and we’re rebuilding it.
Because we don’t just want to keep rescuing kids.
We want to make sure fewer kids ever fall in.
We want them to be able to walk across that bridge, safely, into adulthood — into jobs, families, and lives where they can take care of themselves and each other.
That’s the heart of our work. Repair the bridge. Change the future.
Why it Matters
Justice-impacted people are not strangers—they are our family, our friends, our neighbors. They are parents trying to provide, sons and daughters trying to rebuild, and community members who want nothing more than a fair shot.
What they need—and deeply want—is dignity, respect, and a real chance to move forward.
Badass Jobs helps them do just that.
We connect justice-impacted individuals to meaningful work, civic education, and pathways to lasting power—so they can not only survive, but thrive.
This isn’t just about jobs. It’s about justice, belonging, and building a future where everyone has a role in shaping what comes next.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
- 70M+ justice-impacted Americans (including those with past convictions or supervision)
- 500K+ skilled union jobs unfilled nationwide
- 20M+ justice-impacted individuals eligible to vote
- 2–5x: In every state, the justice-impacted population is at least double the number of union members
- 50%: Reduced recidivism when formerly incarcerated individuals secure employment within a year
Badass Jobs turns these numbers into outcomes: filled jobs, greater civic engagement, and political wins for working people.
BREAKING BARRIERS, BUILDING FUTURES
Skills that Build Futures
Skills that Build Futures
Skills that Build Futures
Badass Jobs is more than a workforce program—it’s a launchpad for long-term stability, civic power, and dignity.
We meet justice-impacted individuals where they are—inside prison walls, navigating reentry, or taking their first steps back into the world. We connect them to real opportunity through job opportunties, job training, life skills, mentorship, and civic education—opening doors that have been shut for far too long.
This isn’t just training. It’s transformation.
Most people leaving incarceration face an overwhelming mix of rejection, confusion, and isolation. Many don’t know what rights they have, where to turn for help, or how to navigate voting or housing systems. That’s where Badass Jobs comes in.
When someone sees a future for themselves, they fight for it—and for others.
Badass Jobs is here to make sure that future is within reach. Because when justice-impacted people have the tools to succeed, they don’t just get a job—they change their lives, their families, and their communities.
How You Can Help
Skills that Build Futures
Skills that Build Futures
Justice Reform Needs All of Us—Especially Business Leaders.
Justice-impacted people don’t lack drive—they lack opportunity. Even when fully qualified, they’re 50% less likely to get a callback for a job interview. For Black applicants, the odds are even worse. That’s not just injustice—it’s a massive missed opportunity for our economy.
At the same time, nearly 75% of Americans support second chances and fair hiring practices. The public is ready. Businesses need to lead.
Badass Jobs is partnering with construction and skilled trades—but we’re expanding. We want to work with employers across all industries: healthcare, logistics, tech, green energy, and more.
We need business leaders, hiring managers, and teammates at every level to:
- Champion second chances
- Examine internal hiring and promotion policies
- Support policies that remove unfair barriers
- Foster workplaces where everyone belongs
Badass Jobs is building more than a workforce—we’re building a movement. Join us and be part of the change.