‘Unlocking Futures’ took place in collaboration with crime prevention charity Key4Life and brought together top London businesses and ex-offenders to highlight the difficulties around hiring ex-offenders, as well as the opportunities and solutions.
https://key4life.org.uk/

With 12m people in the UK carrying a criminal conviction – and with only 17% of prison leavers securing jobs – the panel discussion explored how businesses can tap into this hugely overlooked pool of talent.

Eva Hamilton MBE, CEO of Key4Life, who set up the charity to reduce offending in response to the 2011 London Riots, said: “Our experience of transforming ex-offenders’ lives – including many from broken homes and who’ve suffered terrible starts in life – has consistently shown us that getting a job is what keeps these men away crime. 

“Sadly, studies show that over 50% of Britain’s businesses would not employ an ex-offender, and together with many of our partner companies – including Harbottle & Lewis, KPMG UK and NBC Universal, all here tonight – we’ve been working hard to lift the stigma around employing ex-offenders and to create opportunities for their employment.”

While the odds of rehabilitation are stacked against ex-offenders, Key4Life – whose innovative 7-Step rehabilitation programme includes equine therapy (horses), football and music, in addition to employability training – has achieved extraordinary results: 

• Just 7% have gone on to reoffend, versus a government rate of 64% 
• 60% have found employment or training opportunities, compared to a government rate of only 15%. 

Alexa Collis, partner at Harbottle & Lewis who hosted the evening, said: “It felt important to us to celebrate our two-year partnership with Key4Life by shining a spotlight on this crucial issue. We invite more companies in Britain to join this vital movement for corporate social change and unlock bright futures for former offenders.”

Advising recruitment agencies and recruiters within companies to help Key4Life help place ex-offenders into meaningful work, Hamilton told Recruiter: “Recruiters are now in a unique position to recruit from this pool of untapped talent represented by so many ex-offenders. What we recommend as the simplest way to give these men a chance to prove themselves is two-three day work tasters with a view to longer-term employment.”

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