Transforming employment opportunities for people with convictions
Since announcing our partnership with New Futures Network in September 2024, the CIPD Trust has been busy engaging senior people professionals to ensure that the profession has a consistent presence on prison boards up and down the country.
The partnership builds on the excellent work undertaken by Employment Advisory Boards (EABs) which bring together employers and people in prisons to create more awareness and understanding and share the challenges that employers are facing. The inclusion of HR professionals onto these boards will strengthen the knowledge and employment offer and help more people with convictions feel more prepared to find sustainable employment. Rosie Carbutt, EAB Lead at New Futures Network (NFN), highlights the transformative potential of this partnership:
By engaging people professionals to join EABs we can help individuals in prison better understand the world of work and prepare for release. It’s practical, tangible support with the power to change lives and reduce reoffending.”
Adding value through shared goals
CIPD members bring a unique skill set to EABs, making their involvement especially valuable. HR professionals have a unique understanding of both the employer perspective and the people perspective. This expertise enables them to provide prison employees with practical advice around what employers want from their employees and what can be done in prisons to prepare people with convictions to gain employment upon release. Through our work with NFN, we are also looking for HR professionals who have some experience of working in the criminal justice space to volunteer as a mentor to a Prison Employment Lead (PEL). This will help to create a consistent approach across prisons ensuring that employees working directly with people with convictions can provide the right support in preparing them for the world of work upon release. Rosie says,
HR professionals can provide value at all levels of the prison system. By mentoring Prison Employment Leads, offering practical guidance and the most up-to-date recruitment information on what employers want and need, prison employment initiatives become more aligned with the realities of the job market.”
Providing vital skills and expertise
By volunteering, people professionals contribute to positively impacting individuals’ lives and chances of securing employment, ultimately helping to reduce reoffending. They also gain insights that can drive transformation within their own organisations, fostering more inclusive hiring practices and breaking down barriers to employment for people with convictions leading to real long-term change.
For CIPD members passionate about changing lives and shaping inclusive workplaces, this is a unique opportunity to make a difference.
>> Register your interest in joining an Employment Advisory Board or mentoring a Prison Employment Lead, and we will set up an initial call with a member of the CIPD Trust. Candidates with the right skillsets will then be referred to NFN.
Read more about New Futures Network
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Guide your local prison on employment
Share your expertise and network by joining your local prison's Employment Advisory Board
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