The employment case of employing ex-offenders was heard by businesses in the south-east at a recent conference hosted by the Learning Skills Council (LSC).

Chair of the SE Regional Re-offending Delivery Board, Sir Clive Booth, told the conference: “What is required is a partnership approach, one which involves government working with all employers, from big corporations to small businesses, and also at a national, regional and local level, to improve an ex-offender’s employability, prospects and skills.”

David Wylie, skills development director for the LSC south-east, added: “The conference proved that employers who recruit offenders are very satisfied with the results.”

There are currently 27 prisons in the region with 12,500 prisoners and 18,000 community-sentenced offenders.