Peter Burns MBE, an ambassador and former president of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, is chair of the Employment Advisory Board at HMP Onley and has been promoting the programme within the regional business community through the Chamber.
Its success saw Peter – and others across the country undertaking similar work – invited to Number 10 to speak to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy MP and Lord Timpson OBE, the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending.
Peter highlighted, among other success stories, a powerful partnership with Greene King, one of the UK’s leading pub companies.
Its Releasing Potential programme has created clear pathways from training to employment which has seen the business engage with over 80 prisons nationwide, launched four prison Training Academies, including one at HMP Onley, and supported over 350 prison leavers into sustainable employment.
Peter said: “This was the first time Government has brought Employment Advisory Board chairs together at Number 10 and it was a thank you for the work that’s already happening, but more importantly a clear message that we now need to do more and get more employers involved.
"The truth is if people leave prison without a job to go to, an interview lined up or stable accommodation, the chances of reoffending rise dramatically. Employment is absolutely critical to breaking that cycle.
“We want more local employers to get involved but also those with a national reach because prisoners aren’t always released close to the prison they have been in.
“If someone leaves HMP Onley but returns to, say, London or elsewhere in the Midlands, a national business can track and support them wherever they go. That continuity makes a real difference.
“The work with Greene King highlights exactly how this can be a win-win for everyone. If someone completes the 12 week Greene King Training Academy and passes, they receive a Level 1 City & Guilds certificate, and move on to the interview process.
“In most cases, this leads to an offer of employment, and where possible, in a pub close to where they are re-settling. We’ve already seen individuals progress and even earn promotions after release – those are the success stories that prove this works.
“There are workshops, training programmes and real commercial projects already running at HMP Onley, but we need more businesses to get involved. If companies are even curious, the prison team would welcome them to come and see what’s possible.”
