Ex-offenders needed to get us out of jail

MORE than 60 per cent of private sector employers expect to hire ex-offenders over the year ahead, as businesses continue to grapple with worker shortages, according to research from Sodexo.

The food services and facilities management giant surveyed more than 1,000 business owners and leaders and found that 62 per cent are struggling to recruit, with 42 per cent finding it hard to fill more than 10 current vacancies.

Sodexo, which runs six prisons on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Prison Service, said that although 61 per cent anticipate hiring ex-offenders this year, 17 per cent said that they would only do so if a position has been open for more than six months. It also found that 21 per cent will not employ an ex-offender.

It said that a quarter were worried that they would re-offend, while the same proportion said they feared for the safety of the rest of their employees and 23 per cent said that they would not trust them to behave appropriately at the workplace.

Tony Simpson, Sodexo’s justice operations director, said work needs to be done to educate employers and dispel myths about ex-offenders. He added that 50,000 people leave prison every year – many emerging with new formal qualifications who could help increase the workforce.

“It can be a win-win situation because there is a huge skills shortage in many UK sectors and we believe ex-offenders could help to plug some of these gaps, while providing a more stable and secure income and a better future for the individual,” he said.