NFIB and officials from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice led a virtual panel discussion on programs that could help small businesses find much-needed workers by hiring ex-offenders. Other participants included the Texas Workforce Commission and Windham School District in Huntsville, Texas.

“Small businesses across the country have experienced massive labor shortages,” NFIB State Director Annie Spilman said, adding that nearly half of NFIB members nationwide say they have positions they can’t fill. “That’s historically high,” she said.

Spilman said that while some workers may learn job skills in school, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice helps others get training while they’re incarcerated. Click here to visit the department’s website for details. Or, call the Texas Workforce Commission’s employer hotline at 800-832-9394.

Watch the virtual panel discussion below.