At City & Guilds Training, through our work with HMP Highpoint, we are committed to helping individuals with an offending background overcome barriers to employment on leaving prison. In order to successfully help prisoners through training courses and into jobs upon release, we need employer commitment and support.
Many of the employers we work with who provide ex-offenders with guaranteed, sustainable employment are advocates of the scheme, with many highlighting filling skills gaps, gaining a committed, enthusiastic workforce and boosting their company culture and social impact. Here, we discuss just some of the benefits to employing ex-offenders and how you can get involved in our prison training and rehabilitation scheme.
The Benefits of Employing Ex-Offenders
Untapped talent
Many ex-offenders bring unique skills and a strong work ethic, often motivated by the opportunity to rebuild their lives. In fact, one of the employers we work with, Civil Rail Solutions (CRS) have stated that ex-offenders remain some of the most ‘eager employees’ and that they are often ‘very engaged, very hardworking and very keen’.
By giving our prison communities access to industry-leading training, whether that be rail, construction or electrical, we can tap into the eager and heard-working attitude of those who wish to turn their lives around, providing employers with a well-skilled, competent workforce upon release.
Fill crucial skills gaps
Industries such as rail, electrical and construction, face widespread skills shortages.
Through our industry-leading training provision, learners from prisons across the UK are transported to HMP Highpoint where both rail and construction training is delivered. Following the completion of training, learners are then transported back to their original prison to finish the rest of their sentence prior to release.
Upon release, learners are ready to enter their guaranteed job placement, with both learners and employers continuing to receive full wraparound support by City & Guilds Training and the City & Guilds Foundation.
By recruiting ex-offenders, employers can fill vital skills gaps with enthusiastic, committed employees that have completed industry-leading training. As such, these industries can overcome the difficulties that come with talent shortages and focus on driving business growth.
Social impact
Our current rail training courses at HMP Highpoint have delivered ten rail track skills courses with a success rate of 75% in rail going into employment. This means reduced re-offending rates and more diverse, inclusive workforces across the rail sector.
By employing ex-offenders, you can help contribute to a safer, stronger community where prisoners receive a second chance and go on themselves to contribute to a thriving workforce and wider society.
At HMP Highpoint we offer a range of rail, construction and electrical training to the prison network across the UK. Most recently, we have opened a ground-breaking Rail Centre of Excellence at HMP Highpoint and a first-of-its-kind Construction Plant Training Centre in partnership with L. Lynch Plant Hire to elevate our training offering and help give more ex-offenders a chance at a better future.
If this sounds like something your company would be interested in supporting, please contact our team at holly.brown@intertrain.biz. Let’s work together to create a more inclusive workforce.
