As part of its due diligence process when CEI is considering which applicants to approve for business financing, and is determining if an ETAG is warranted, an employment assessment is completed. The assessment is conducted to help screen businesses based on the quality of the employment opportunities, to gauge management's commitment to hiring from a variety of untapped labor pools, and to assess if the firm possesses the characteristics of being "socially responsible".   

To assess the employment opportunities CEI looks at the quality and range of jobs, educational and skill levels required, wages and wage progressions,  advancement opportunities, and projections of new jobs created.  Also considered are HR practices, including the quality of the benefits package, presence and nature of personnel policies, types and nature of training provided for the workforce, and safety of the work environment. We particularly have an interest in employment opportunities that lead to developing skills, livable wages, advancement opportunities, asset development and self-sufficiency over time.