Philip Cooper speaks about barriers to reentry

February 15, 2023

On Monday, February 13, “the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University held a day-long event focused on barriers keeping people from entering the workforce as many employers struggle to hire people to fill key jobs. …

[Leading with Conviction 2022 graduate] Philip Cooper, who works for the Land of Sky Regional Council in Asheville, spoke about his experience in the criminal justice system and the work he does now to help others when they’re released. He vets job seekers who he then connects with employers seeking to fill vacant positions.

“‘We’re in the community, holding a person’s hand when they come home. I didn’t really have that,’ he said. ‘What I’m doing now is making sure that when a person comes home from the penitentiary, they have somebody alongside them accessing all the resources that they need.’”

Cooper spoke with CBS17 about his work advocating for people seeking employment after their release from prison:

Read more at CBS17.com.

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