Overview

Background

A series of briefing events have been held over the last year, hosted by Sir John Parker, to inform and engage companies with large supply chains in the Young Offender Programme.

To date over 80 major UK companies have attended these events and firm commitments have been received from the following industry sectors.

• gas / electricity
• engineering / construction
• utility contractors
• logistics
• support services

A Steering Committee has been established, chaired by Sir John Parker, comprising Chairmen and CEOs of the five sectors and the Director General of CBI and RT Hon Stephen Timms, MP.

Government Support

On 5th February 2008 the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling hosted a reception at No. 11 to celebrate 1000 offenders through the programme

The recent Home Office National Action Plan on Reducing Re-Offending, which set out a strategy for more effective work to rehabilitate offenders, also highlights National Grid’s Offender Training and Employment Programme.

Its effectiveness has also been recognised and featured in the Social Exclusion Unit Report on reducing re-offending and in reports produced by the Home Affairs select committee.

The programme won cross party acclaim.

Training and Employment – Benefits and Expansion

Training offenders for the gas industry is at the heart of this inspiring scheme. As well as providing motivated, skilled gas network operatives, the programme is delivering shareholder value and increasing the positive perceptions of many stakeholders.

The benefits for society include greatly reduced re-offending rates and therefore reduced financial and social costs of crime. The Programme is developed as a win/win model and a replicable model, with the potential to engage other industries in breaking the cycle of crime while simultaneously meeting business needs. We believe that what makes our programme uniquely innovative is its focus on real employment rather than on employability.

The pre-release programme runs in partnership with National Grid’s contractors, who provide jobs and support for successful trainees when they leave prison. Every trainee is offered support and mentoring both pre and post release in order to ease the transition from prison life to the world of work.

The 13 week Gas Network Operative (GNO) NVQ level 1 courses operate from prisons such as: HM & YOI Reading; Glen Parva, nr Leicester, with 20 further prisons also engaged.

The hub system meets the needs of the trainees to be in a location near contractors sites for the eight week work experience so they can go out to placements each day and return to prison at night. All trainees must be eligible for release on temporary licence (ROTL) and pass stringent prison selection boards and external interviews before being accepted for the course. The programme is offered to both adult and young offenders in both open and closed establishments, male and female.

The expansion and roll out of the programme is under the leadership of Sir John Parker and has become a blueprint for wider industry adoption. The industrial sector companies are now replicating the model of training and employing offenders in their businesses to meet their own skills needs.

The programme has won a number of Awards including a National Training Award, Business in the Community Awards for Excellence and a Utility Week Award.