McGinley HR Director to chair Employment Advisory Board (EAB) at HMP Onley

We are delighted to announce that Fiona Burke, HR Director has been appointed Chair of the Employment Advisory Board (EAB) at HMP Onley and kicked off the first meeting this week on the 4th of October 2022.

91 resettlement prisons in England and Wales will have an Employment Advisory board in place by April 2023.  These boards will act as a link between prisons and employers encouraging offenders to use their time inside to learn new skills needed for jobs upon release.

Speaking on the appointment, Fiona Burke said, “We will be working with the prison to ensure together we understand what employers want so offenders have the right skills and links to job opportunities on release.”

“I am proud to work for a company committed to inclusion to provide prison leavers into employment.  We want to break the barriers into employment providing long and successful careers and new directions in life.”

The Ministry of Justice said the scheme is crucial in tackling the £18 billion cost of reoffending, as ex-offenders in steady jobs within six months of leaving prison are less likely to commit further crimes.

The Rt Hon Dominic Raab previously appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary for State and Justice said: “Getting prison leavers into work is a formula that works. It reduces the chance of reoffending – cutting crime and making the public safer. It’s a true win-win, allowing us to boost public protection and save the taxpayer money, while providing the reliable staff businesses need to drive the British economy.”

As part of the Prisons White Paper published last December, the Government has committed to investing £200 million per year by 2023 on reducing reoffending, including on prison leaver employment schemes. Initiatives to be funded include the roll out of prison employment leads to all resettlement prisons who will work closely with the specialist employment team in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the New Futures Network.

To find out more, please contact our marketing team via marketing@mcginley.co.uk