UK employers urged to rent 9.6 million ex-criminals to deal with reoffending
The Fair Chance Business Alliance (FCBA) believes UK employers should tap into the massive pool of unemployed working-age people with criminal records to help fill skills gaps and reduce reoffending
There are 9.6 million ex-criminals out of work in the UK(Image: Getty Images)
UK businesses are being urged to “take a chance” on hiring one of the nation’s 9.6 million jobless ex-criminals to help tackle reoffending rates.
The Fair Chance Business Alliance (FCBA) reckons UK employers should exploit the enormous pool of unemployed working-age individuals with criminal records as an effective remedy to growing skills shortages and ongoing staffing crises.
The expense of reoffending alone is now almost twice the entire Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Budget at an estimated £26.3 billion annually, creating a yearly burden of £672 per taxpayer. Yet steady employment has been demonstrated to be amongst the most successful and lasting measures against reoffending.
Keith Jones, the FCBA Chair, said: “The UK cannot afford to sideline a ‘waiting workforce’ the size of Greater London. Many of these records stem from minor or historic incidents. Fair Chance Week is about raising awareness and championing the benefits of opening doors to opportunity, whilst proving that across every sector, there is resilient, trustworthy talent ready to work.”
The organisation maintains that offering employment to those who have encountered the criminal justice system has the potential to generate “real social impact” and could help diminish the dependence on recruiting foreign workers by backing the Government’s aspirations of achieving an 80% employment rate, cutting the welfare burden, boosting economic activity and enabling generational social mobility.
Fair Chance Week seeks to unite businesses, charities and government departments, and replicate the achievements of Second Chance Month that takes place in the United States.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is a founding member of the alliance and was amongst the first to embrace the charter.
The company’s chief people officer, Nikki Humphrey, said: “People should be judged on their potential, not defined by their past. We’ve seen people who were once counted out go on to thrive in roles across Virgin. Unite 1K is an opportunity for employers across the UK to unlock this enormous pool of talented, motivated people who deserve a fair chance. It’s not just the right thing to do, it also strengthens businesses, the economy and communities. When employers create fair chances, it benefits everyone.”, reports the Express.
