A fantastic initiative here!
Employers are being urged by the government and KPMG to recruit prison leavers as part of a national campaign to reduce reoffending and grow the economy, Personnel Today reports. It continues:
As part of a pilot programme, the professional services firm has become the first white-collar business to employ ex-offenders in partnership with the government, in addition to wider efforts to retrain inmates while in prison.
Ex-offenders hired by KPMG so far work across all parts of the business, some in senior roles in areas such as technology and consulting. The Big Four firm’s staff are aware of the ex-offender recruitment initiative but individuals’ identities are not revealed.
KPMG chief executive for the UK Jon Holt said: “Our longstanding focus on social mobility is about giving everyone – regardless of their background – the chance to succeed. I believe reformed prison leavers should be no exception.
“As well as creating permanent job opportunities, our New Futures pilot builds on our existing support through mentoring and skills workshops and our Redemption Roasters coffee shop in our head office. We want to play our part in helping prison leavers turn their lives around.”
Prisons and probation minister Ed Argar said: “Our drive to get ex-offenders into employment is not only cutting crime and re-offending but is also growing the economy as part of our long-term plan for growth, which is why we’ve partnered with KPMG UK to encourage other businesses to follow suit.
“We’re helping prisoners kick-start law-abiding lives, which makes our streets safer and provides businesses with the staff they need to boost the British economy.”
The Ministry of Justice said the latest figures show that the proportion of ex-offenders who have been successfully steered into jobs within six months more than doubled between 2021 and 2023.
Prison leavers in full-time employment are around 10 percentage points less likely to re-offend when released and more than 90% of businesses who employ ex-offenders report they are motivated, have good attendance and are trustworthy.
One ex-offender working for KPMG said: “It was rejection after rejection, businesses never looked beyond my criminal record. It felt quite belittling because no one’s looking at your skills and experience – that generates a lot of anger and frustration. It was very tempting to give up.
“KPMG’s pilot programme wasn’t just refreshing to see, it’s a lifeline that gave me hope. To get a job at KPMG – it’s a miracle. It put me on the right path. I could have gone down a totally different path, but now I’m putting the past behind me and have a bright future.”
#hr #humanresources #hrdirector #hrmanager
Statewide Civic Engagement Program Specialist on Criminal Justice at the Washington Office of the Secretary of State
3wIt’s very telling that we ask prisoners to work in meatpacking plants, on wildfires, and in manufacturing plants, but we exclude those locations from OSHA oversight if they exist as part of correctional industries.