Greggs, Co-op & more | Major firms join mission to get thousands of prisoners into work

Bosses from some of the UK’s most well known firms have joined an initiative to help prepare prisoners for the world of employment when their sentences are served.

Big name businesses including the Co-op, Greggs, Iceland and Oliver Bonas have been appointed as Employment Advisory Board chairs in 92 prisons, which help prepare prisoners nearing the end of their sentence for release into the community.

The boards link prisons to leading business figures who can offer their expertise on the skills, qualifications and training needed to help prisoners re-enter the workforce.

Using these insights, prisons can tailor their training and workshops to match local labour market demands so ex-offenders are job-ready when they walk out the prison gate.