Member Article

Minister helps ex-offenders back to work

Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, was in the North East this week to hear how a groundbreaking scheme is helping ex-offenders back into the job market.

Offender Routeway, a joint enterprise between Marriott Hotels, Jobcentre Plus and other agencies, provides pre-release training for prisoners at Durham Prison followed by work experience in the Marriott Hotel chain, with a view to permanent employment with Marriott or other employers. The Learning and Skills Council, the Prison Service, the Probation Service, and the North East Employer Coalition are also lending their support to the scheme.

Mr Timms said: “This project is an excellent example of how we can work with employers and other agencies to help people who need a second opportunity to fulfil their potential. We want to remove obstacles to learning and skills for people trapped within the benefits system, while giving employers a bigger role in directing skills budgets.

“We expect Local Employment Partnerships like the one we have with Marriott Hotels to help more than 6,000 people in the North East into work by March 2009.”

Governor of Durham Prison Alan Tallentire said: “One of the greatest difficulties of prisoners reintegrating into society is finding and settling into a job. This Marriott scheme is excellent as it allows prisoners not only to experience work but employers to experience the good work they can do.”

During his visit Stephen Timms met managers from Marriott Hotels and Jobcentre Plus, and representatives from the Learning and Skills Council, the Prison Service, the Probation Service, and the North East Employer Coalition.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .