Recommended EmployersWe want employers to give us a chance and not prejudge us. That being the case, we should hold ourselves to the same standard and not prejudge companies either; we should give them a chance too.
This is why we recommend that you contact all of the companies that would most value your skills and that you would like to work for. |
If you are not sure where to start and want to gain employment experience, then the following 90+ employers have already shown a willingness to publicly support ex-offenders and give them a chance to prove themselves.
This list is just a drop in the ocean of the many thousands of employers that are open-minded to employing ex-offenders.
This list is just a drop in the ocean of the many thousands of employers that are open-minded to employing ex-offenders.
Supportive Employers, A to Z Accenture Accountants and Management Consultants Adnams Ales, food and drink manufacturer Adventure Learning Charity Residential activity provision for children Aldermans Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing Amey Utilities, Facilities, Waste and Infrastructure Aramark Catering ASM Metal recycling Avian Works Landscape Gardening Company Balfour Beatty Road works, Infrastructure, Construction Beefeater Restaurants Bernard Matthews Poultry Farmers and Food Producers Biffa Waste, recycling and facilities management Boots the Chemist Personal care, wellbeing, food and medicine Cambridge University Press Media, Marketing and Public Relations Carbon 60 Technical recruitment Carpetright Flooring retailer Census Data Education and Employment support services City and Guilds Skills development and education provider Compass Group Distribution and logistics Concept Design Solutions Design and Marketing services Cook Frozen ready meals Co-Op Retail and service delivery Costa Coffee shops and outlets Costain Construction Currie and Brown Construction, asset management and consultancy DHL Distribution and logistics Enterprise Car and van hire Evans Cycle shops Everyone Active (EA) Fitness, Sport and Leisure Farrelly Building Services Construction First Direct Banking Fujitsu Technology Genius Within CIC Education, Employment and Training Genuine Solutions Group Technology Recycling Gleeds Surveyors Greggs Bakers and take away food Greene King Pubs, Catering and Hospitality Greenzone Cleaning and Support Services Halfords Bike and car part retailer Heat Connection Utility company Henley Homes PLC Construction Hodgkinson Bricklaying contractors Hortech Ltd Landscape Management Iceland Frozen food retailer Icon Designs Ltd Manufacturing Inderflame Heating services Interserve Construction and Facilities Management JP Concrete Construction Jury’s Inn Hotels and Hospitality Keepmoat New homes Keltbray Information Technology Kinnerton Food, drinks, confectionery manufacturer Land Securities Real Estate management and consultancy Linklaters Legal services Leo Burnett Communications MACS Plasterboard Systems Marriott Hotels and Hospitality Marks and Spencer Quality clothing and food retailer Matrix APA Product design and procurement MVF Technology Nature's Way Fresh Foods NMC Construction and Utilities Pets at Home Pet supplies retailer Poundland Specialist discount retailer Powerday Construction Premier Inn Hotels and Hospitality Pret A Manger Take away food PRO-Driver Logistics and Distribution Project Simply PR and Communications Quesera (Q) Utilities Rinkit Home and Garden Products Roast Hospitality and Restaurants RMF Construction Ltd Commercial and Residential Construction Sainsbury’s Grocery, distribution and logistics Screwfix Electronic component and goods retailer SES GROUP Events Recruitment Skanska Road works and highway maintenance Sodexo Food services, Housekeeping and Cleaning Speedy Hire Tool and plant equipment hire St Giles Trust Mentoring support for ex-offenders Styles and Wood Architects Taylor Wimpey National House Builders Tesco Grocery, distribution and logistics Timpson Shoe Repairs, key cutting and other services Total Ship Services Shipping, Forwarding, Warehousing and Storage User voice Support for people with criminal records Virgin Group Predominantly transport and media Viridor Utilities and Waste Management Wamitab Industrial Cleaning and Supplies Wilmot Dixon Highways Maintenance |
“We are not so interested in what you have done in the past but what you can achieve in the future, by building on your positive attributes and experiences, not those you regret. We have the opportunity to help each other to do things right, not do things wrong.”
Simon Catford, Regulatory Director - Viridor “We believe passionately that everyone should be given a chance to shine in life. To this end we have committed to recruiting the very best people based on their aptitude, not their past. We focus on what people can offer now and, in the future, rather than looking back. This allows us to provide greater opportunities for people looking to start a new chapter in their lives.” Karen Brookes, HR Director, Sir Robert McAlpine Construction “Employers need to be aware of the positives of taking on people who have been in prison. Our experience shows that people from prison, if properly selected, will prove to be just as reliable as recruits who come from elsewhere. It is their personality that matters most.” Sir Richard Branson, CEO Virgin group of companies “Employment is a key factor in helping people to live crime free lives. It has been proven that if people have somewhere to live, a support network and a full-time job their chance of re-offending are greatly reduced.” James Timpson OBE, Chief executive Timpson and Chair of the Employers' Forum for Reducing Reoffending “People offend for a variety of complex reasons. The most powerful thing that employers can do is help to create a second chance for offenders, help them enter employment and get their lives back on track.” Marco Pagni - Boots the Chemist “We accept that individuals may have made mistakes, however they should be entitled to a period of rehabilitation and should not be discriminated against because of this.” Duncan Jones, Director - Hortech Landscape Management “A good idea is not to have any unnecessary barriers to recruiting talent and for ex-offenders trying to re-enter the workforce.” John O’Brien, Destria Management Consultants “We are created as imperfect beings, if someone asks for a second chance allow them at least a second chance.” Tariq Usmani MBE, Chief Executive Officer - Henley Homes Group “Getting ex-offenders back into work is a top priority if we want to see national crime rates fall. We all make mistakes in life, some bigger than others, but we believe those who fall hardest need the greatest amount of help.” Charlie Bradshaw, Managing Director Matrix APA Product Design “We believe in equal opportunities for all persons. If someone has the skills required for the job, their past is irrelevant.” Paul Farrelly - Director, Farrelly Construction “We believe very much in second chances and that people should not be judged on their past mistakes providing they are genuine in wanting to turn their lives around. If the applicant is keen to learn from past mistakes and has the ability and desire to change, there is no reason why they should not be part of our team.” Paul Crossman - Genuine Solutions Group “Everyone deserves to be given a second chance, as not all paths in life would be taken given another chance. I do believe deeply that everyone should have options moving forward and be able to (not forget) but to learn from their past in a positive way and progress through life.” Steve Brands, Director - Heat Connection “Finding stable employment is widely recognised as a contributing factor to the successful rehabilitation of ex-offenders. Industry must step up and accept their role in the process. We can’t simply exclude 17% of the UK population from the recruitment process on the basis that they have a criminal record.” Karen Morley, Human Resources Director - Styles and Wood Group (Architects) |
If you know of any company or organisation that would like to appear on this list or that deserves to be included, please contact us.
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