Norse Group has urged the highways and civils industry to employ ex-offenders to solve the sector's recruitment challenges, arguing its own employment programme with HMP Norwich has resulted in 'excellent' hires and cost savings over traditional recruitment avenues.
Norse chief executive officer (CEO) Justin Galliford stressed the benefits of hiring ex-offenders as he promoted the Norfolk County Council LATCo's work with HMP Norwich under the Future Horizons initiative.
Every month, around 120 individuals are released from the Norfolk prison. Future Horizons helps connect them with local employers.
Norse has supported a large group of Category D Open Prisoners on day release to gain practical skills to work on public sector civils and utilities contracts, including through Norse Highways.
Mr Galliford said: ‘Most companies and public sector organisations struggle to find good candidates. From our experience, the people placed with us have been excellent.
‘We've invested less in this project than it would have cost us to recruit the excellent employees who have joined us. So, it's not only good social value, it also makes real commercial sense.'
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data has revealed that reoffending rates remain at around 40%. However, Norse said that rate has been cut in half by male offenders going into employment immediately on release from HMP Norwich.
The LATCo added that the 'social value of that reduction to our local communities, to the ex-offender and his family, and to the public purse is massive'.
Despite the benefits of employment in reducing reoffending and research suggesting around 70% of employers say they would employ an ex-offender, only just 17% of firms are 'currently engaged in actively hiring individuals with criminal records'.
In a recently published report, ‘Just passing time': A review of work and training provision in adult prisons, HM chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor argued that many ex-offenders ‘return to criminality' when released from prison mainly due to ‘the failure of prisons to provide education, training and work that could support rehabilitation'.
Mr Galliford added: ‘Some people don't even have a first opportunity in life. There has to come a point where people can contribute to society. This is not about being soft on offending, it's about being smart. Recruiters can be the change they want to see and solve their candidate drought.'
HMP Norwich Governor Declan Moore added: ‘The prospect of employment means most people won't come back. With this scheme, employers get to see the person they actually are first, not the person they were. They will often get the opportunity to try before they buy!'
