Midlands employers urged to hire ex-offenders
Employers in the Midlands are being encouraged to take on people with a criminal record. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is urging employers to take on offenders to reduce crime which costs businesses an estimated £12bn each year.
Its "OnTrak" programme in the Midlands is leading the campaign to employ former offenders, with the backing of the region’s European Social Fund (ESF) programme.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), it has been estimated that a fifth of the working population has a criminal record. Current rules of disclosure require interviewees to declare a criminal record during the recruitment process, which the organisation said “can present a significant barrier to employment”.
David Pruden, for the NOMS OnTrak programme, said: “Employers like to think they are enlightened about such matters, but evidence suggests that they are less likely to select a person for a job if they have a criminal record.
“In doing so, they are missing out on a significant talent pool and we often find that they are pleasantly surprised about the strengths in terms of both skills and behaviours that many offenders have to offer.”
The NOMS OnTrak programme is currently working with about 750 offenders and ex-offenders in the region to raise skills levels and help them find employment.
