The event is aimed at businesses based in Luton and the surrounding area and takes place on Thursday October 8 at the Carnival Arts Centre in Luton.
It is part of a ground-breaking employer-led pilot scheme aimed at local employers who struggle to find people with the right talent, skills, abilities and mindset to fill their vacancies.
Nacro chief executive Jacob Tas said: “We know that over 10 million people in the UK have a criminal record. The vast majority come from varied backgrounds and possess a wide range of skills yet many struggle to find work, having moved on from past mistakes, because employers are overly cautious when offering jobs, or even voluntary opportunities, to people with a criminal record.
“This issue exists despite the fact that many employers report extremely positive experiences of employing people with offending histories.
“The aim is to give employers the necessary confidence and skills to ‘see potential’ in ex-offenders who are looking to move on from their past mistakes by getting a job and becoming a financially independent part of the community.”
The Recruiting Safely and Fairly: Employing Ex-offenders to Capture Talent session will be delivered by legal officers from Nacro’s Employment Advice Service and will include:
- Free legal briefing and safer recruitment workshop which covers recent changes to legislation that organisations need to take into account when recruiting safely and fairly, criminal record checks eligibility, safe recruitment best practice and how to avoid potential legal pitfalls when managing criminal record issues in the workplace;
- High profile speakers, including former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken and other key representatives from the private, public and voluntary sectors;
- The opportunity to learn from the positive experiences of leading employers that confidently provide work placements and recruit people with criminal records.
The event takes place between 9.30am and 1pm at the Carnival Arts Centre, St Mary’s Road, Luton, followed by lunch and a networking session.
For further information and to register for the event, visit www.nacro.org.uk/aeneid-project
For more information on the Aeneid Project, telephone Nacro’s Employment Advice Line on 0845 600 3194 or e-mail employeradvice@nacro.org.uk
