The Department for Work and Pensions has issued a big update for people who claim benefits who are offenders. The DWP is set to help offenders get back into work during an employment drive, along with top UK companies like Greggs.
New Employment Councils are set to bring probation, prisons and local businesses together and household UK names including the Co-op and Oliver Bonas backing new initiative. Each council will also have a representative from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help improve links with local job centres.
Further support from the DWP will help link offenders with work coaches placed at job centres throughout the country. These coaches will be on hand to get offenders job-ready through mock interviews, CV advice and by sharing tips on how to secure further training opportunities in the community.
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Minister for Probation, Prisons and Reducing Reoffending, James Timpson, said: “Getting former offenders into stable work is a sure way of cutting crime and making our streets safer. That’s why partnering with businesses to get more former offenders into work is a win-win.
“The Employment Advisory Boards I spear-headed have made huge progress and now these Employment Councils will expand that success to steer even more offenders away from crime as part of our Plan for Change.” DWP Lords Minister, Baroness Maeve Sherlock, said: “As well as making our streets safer, helping offenders into work will enable employers to fill vacancies and plug our skills gaps.
“This work is vital in our Plan for Change as we begin our task of fixing the fundamentals of the social security system and progress with wider work to reduce poverty, put more money in people’s pockets and keep our streets safe.
“That’s why I am pleased that DWP staff will also be a part of the new regional Employment Councils to directly connect them with the frontline support delivered every day by Jobcentre staff across the country – offering work experience and access to our employment programmes.”