CQE Application Workshop

This event is in collaboration with Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry, Northstar Neighborhood Reentry Resource Center, and The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. 

Meet with an attorney at North Star to begin obtaining a Certificate for Qualification of Employment. A Certificate of Qualification for Employment, or a “CQE,” is given by the Court to a person with a criminal conviction to help remove barriers to finding a job. The CQE was created in 2012 and allows employers and licensing boards to hire or award professional licenses to people who were not legally allowed to do certain jobs under the old law.  Now, an applicant who has a CQE must be given individual consideration by an employer or licensing board.   Additionally, an employer who hires an applicant with a CQE is protected against claims of negligent hiring.

Am I eligible for a Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE)?

The Court of Common Pleas where a person currently lives can award a CQE.

• A person seeking relief from a misdemeanor conviction can apply for a CQE 6 months after any incarceration, any supervision, and any other sanctions have ended.
• A person seeking relief from a felony conviction can apply for a CQE 1 year after any incarceration, any supervision, and any other sanctions have ended.