Going straight...

29th Aug 2007

Business in the Community is working alongside The Apex Trust, NACRO and the Learning and Skills Council on a new project aimed at improving the chances of ex-offenders finding employment and therefore reducing re-offending rates. The Equal Engage Programme, funded by the EU European Social Fund Equal programme, will work with businesses across the region to encourage them to offer a range of opportunities that will help tackle this issue.

Re-offending costs the nation £11 billion a year and neighbourhoods, business success and staffing levels are all affected in some way by this issue. Businesses can play a crucial role in helping to address this problem by building better links with the prison and probation services; helping to improve job-ready skills within the prisons; and by offering jobs and work placement opportunities to those who have attained the required skills.

The project hopes to achieve a number of things which include:

To bring offenders serving prison sentences to a point of job readiness through skills development, training and mentoring schemes prior to release

To help improve chances and remove barriers to employment and help individuals into the labour market whilst addressing labour market needs

To place ex-offenders in employment and provide new employees for companies

To engage employers in the project by raising awareness of the issues and developing the business case for involvement

If you are interested in supporting Bedford Prison, or ex-offenders in general, through this project then please contact Chris Williams, Business in the Community Area Manager, at chris.williams@bitc.org.uk (Mob. 07734 990561). For further info, please visit the website

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