Employment Connection was founded in 1977 after a study by the Young Lawyers Division of the Bar Association of Metropolitan Saint Louis (BAMSL) discovered that employed ex-offenders were 66% less likely to return to incarceration. Our agency immediately began work to reduce recidivism.
In 1980, Employment Connection became a full United Way member agency and expanded its programs beyond ex-offenders to serve U.S. veterans, homeless individuals and families, individuals with behavioral health disorders, and at-risk youth. Today Employment Connection assists over 1,500 individuals who have barriers to self-sufficiency every year.