Clipper works with local prison to help ex-offenders gain employment

According to the latest available Ministry of Justice figures, there are almost 80,000 people in prison in the UK. With only 17 per cent managing to get a job within a year of release, the other 83 per cent are considered to be at increased risk of reoffending.

Leeds-based Clipper said that the logistics sector has long faced a shortage of talent within the industry.

As part of its response to the talent shortage, and its desire to do good within the community and create a diverse workforce, Clipper’s 'Fresh Start' programme is targeting marginalised individuals, including ex-offenders, offering them an opportunity for employment, that may not have existed for them previously.

Hatfield Prison in Doncaster holds Category D offenders aged 18 plus.

Clipper said that its geographical position means that it is well suited to serve several Clipper sites, including Sherburn, Selby, Sheffield and Ollerton.

In working with Hatfield Prison, Clipper is partnering with a Leeds-based charity, Tempus Novo, specialising in helping ex-offenders gain employment.

Clipper has now become a sponsored employer for a prison rehabilitation programme, known as ‘Release on Temporary Licence’, that ensures these individuals are not only ready for their reintroduction into society once they are released, but also provides them with an opportunity for ongoing full time employment on release.

Clipper has employed over 1,200 individuals through 'Fresh Start', with a retention rate of 90 per cent. Over 250 of these employees have been ex-offenders.

Tempus Novo said: "Our work at Tempus Novo is often very challenging. You might think that challenge always comes from the ex-offender, but often not.

"In a recent case, a man who currently resides at Hatfield prison, had been selected to work at Clipper, but was struggling to get all the necessary paperwork sorted. It didn’t help that the Covid-19 pandemic broke, meaning lockdown at the prison.

"Yet thanks to an extraordinary effort by his TN caseworker, the HR team at Clipper and the prison staff, he has commenced full time paid work."