'Potential over their past' | How hiring ex-offenders could boost business, tackle shortages & drive growth

Employers are being encouraged to tap into a talent pool of 9.6 million working-age people with criminal records, as part of a new national campaign to advance fair chance hiring at scale as an effective solution to widening skills gaps and persistent workforce shortages.

The call to action from the The Fair Chance Business Alliance (FCBA) forms a crucial part of ‘Unite 1K,’ a landmark campaign to be launched during the UK’s inaugural Fair Chance Week (27 April – 1 May 2026) to mobilise 1,000 employers to embed truly inclusive hiring practices through adoption of the Fair Chance Charter, a ‘Disability Confident’ for the justice sector.