Ex -Offenders Could Bridge Skills Gap

Three-quarters of organisations would consider employing ex-offenders if they had the relevant skills, according a survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The survey, "Employing ex-offenders to capture talent", reveals that employers are most concerned about ex-offenders having soft workplace skills like honesty, reliability and good personal behavioural skills, not just basic numerical, literacy and technical job skills.

However, it shows that employer concerns could be addressed as four-fifths of employers with a positive experience say that ex-offenders settle into work well with colleagues, perform well and are reliable.

Dianah Worman OBE, CIPD Diversity Adviser, says: "Ex-offenders are a largely unused pool of talent which employers could access as a way of helping to reduce skills shortages."