What is a Certificate of Achievement and Employability?
The Certificate of Achievement (CAE) can help remove legal barriers to employment. The CAE is for individuals that are currently incarcerated and those under parole or post release control.
Who is Eligible to Apply for a Certificate of Achievement and Employability?
You are eligible for a Certificate of Achievement and Employability (CAE) if you are currently incarcerated, on parole, or under post-release control.
What Effect Does a Certificate of Achievement and Employability?
A Certificate of Achievement and Employability (CAE) can remove legal bars to employment that are created by statutes and regulations. In Ohio, people with criminal records cannot get some occupational licenses and cannot work in facilities that serve "vulnerable populations" (hospitals, schools, daycares, nursing homes, etc.). If you have a CAE and you apply for one of these licenses or jobs, the licensing agency or employer must presume that your convictions by themselves do not make you unfit for the license or the job. In other words, if you have a certificate, you are not disqualified by your record.
The CAE protects employers who hire you. It reduces the risk of hiring people with criminal records because they remove the employer's liability for negligent hiring. This certificate should make employers more likely to hire you.
When Can I Apply for a Certificate of Achievement and Employability?
If you are serving a prison term, apply for a Certificate of Achievement and Employability (CAE) no earlier than one year before release and no later than your date of release from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC). You can get the application from the Ohio Central School System (OCSS) and ask them about how, when, and where to apply.
If you are under parole or post-release control, you must apply for the certificate before your parole or post-release control ends. You may get the application and details about how, when, and where to apply from your parole officer.
How Do I Apply for a Certificate of Achievement and Employability?
If you are eligible, get the CAE application online here: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
More Information About a Certificate of Achievement and Employability
For more information, visit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.