The Ministry of Justice will be hosting a free interactive virtual summit on 21 October to support businesses that are interested in recruiting people on release from prison. With many businesses currently experiencing skills gaps, the summit is a timely opportunity to hear first-hand from employers who have significantly benefited from recruiting prison leavers.
NFU skills and employment adviser Rebecca Booth said:
“With workforce shortages affecting the whole of the supply chain, this summit will provide an opportunity for NFU members to find out how their business may benefit from employing prison leavers and increase their awareness of a source of domestic labour that may not have been previously explored.”
Those attending the virtual event will hear from some of the UK’s largest employers including Greggs, Timpson, Wilmot Dixon and Greene King about the business benefits, as well as prison leavers who can speak about their own experiences of securing work. The event will provide practical information on how to go about employing prison leavers.
NFU members are invited to register for this event, which is open to both national and small employers from all sectors of industry.
Programme of events
The current event programme (subject to change) is as follows:
10-11am: Filling your skills gap by recruiting from prison
11.15am-12.15pm: Increasing diversity in your workforce through inclusive recruitment
1.30-2.30pm: How to practically go about employing someone out of prison
2.45-3.45pm: How your business can make a difference by recruiting people out of prison
Book your place now by visiting Seewhatsontheinside.com.
More information
The government has produced information for businesses that may be considering employing prisoners and prison leavers. The guidance can be found at Employing prisoners and ex-offenders.
The document outlines the work done by a specialist part of the prison service called the New Futures Network (NFN), which brokers the partnership between prisoners and employers. The NFN helps employers to identify the best options for their business and puts them in touch with similar businesses that are already working with the prison service.