Hiring ex-offenders could ‘reduce skills shortages’

31/05/07 18:15

Ex-offenders are an under-used pool of talent and the government should do more to help improve their employability, it has been claimed.

According to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), three-quarters of organisations would consider employing ex-offenders if they had the relevant skills.

The CIPD also claimed that UK organisations are four times more likely to report a positive experience when employing an ex-offender than a negative one.

However, the survey, entitled ‘Employing ex-offenders to capture talent’ argued that the government should be doing more to equip ex-offenders with marketable job skills.

The survey found that employers are most concerned about former offenders lacking soft workplace skills, such as honesty, reliablity and good personal behaviour.

“Ex-offenders are a largely unused pool of talent which employers could access as a way of helping to reduce skills shortages,” said Dianah Worman OBE, CIPD diversity adviser.

“While improving the employability of ex-offenders through training is accepted as key to the rehabilitation of offenders, the government needs to ensure training meets the needs of employers, improve the communication about support available for employers and work with the media to change stereotypes about ex-offenders.”

The survey found that three-fifths of businesses would even consider offering jobs to offenders straight out of prison if they were given more information and support.

Worman added: “This underlines the need for a national communication strategy to influence and inform employers’ perceptions about the potential benefits of employing ex-offenders.

“The government needs to take a lead on this, as getting a job is the single most important factor in reducing re-offending.”