Your Consultation Group (YCG) has launched a digital careers service for both serving prisoners in the last 3 months of custody and for prison leavers. YCG will also host additional services in a groundbreaking partnership with The Corbett Network.
The Corbett Network for Prisoner Reintegration is a coalition of charities, social enterprises, CICs, non-profit organisations and businesses with a social mission who work with those in prison and after release.
The event took place in the House of Lords and an invitation was extended to Your Consultation Group (YCG) in recognition of its support to the CCRC over the last 5 years in promoting access to justice for prisoners and its recent national prison campaign to promote the work of the CCRC.
I believe
YCG’s careers
service is a
gamechanger
Under the partnership, The Corbett Network will provide mentoring and other services to serving prisoners and prison leavers who have successfully applied for jobs via YCG’s Prison Digital Hub. The arrangement is exclusive to The Corbett Network’s 115 members.
The partnership is part of a series of national outreach programmes conducted by YCG. Hundreds of jobs with socially responsible employers are currently available on the site and are accessible by serving prisoners. Jobs can be searched by popularity, industry type, or location.
Your Consultation Group, which was originally formed in 2015 as a prisoner-led initiative, now em- ploys prison leavers. This has helped with the design of the platform, which handles vetting, training, recruitment, and will soon be supported by mentoring services provided by Corbett Network members. All applications involve prison and community offender managers to ensure that applicants are risk assessed and sentence plan compliant.
YCG’s Business Development Manager, Dr Darryl Brock commented on the shared aims of the campaign. “This is the first online careers service dedicated to serving prisoners and prison leavers. Socially responsible employers can reach out to serving prisoners and prison leavers by advertising positions on our platform. Take-up by employers in the construction sector has been very encouraging and we have advertised positions in every part of the country.
“Prisoners can access the site via the Employment Hub or Resettlement Team at their prison and search for suitable employment on release. Our partnership with The Corbett Network will also allow us to provide 12-months mentoring as part of our managed service to employers as well as a traditional recruitment service.”
Lady Val Corbett, founder of The Corbett Network for Prisoner Reintegration said: “Employers who want to take advantage of the range of skills in the prison population will, through YCG’s careers service, have access to support from our members. Corbett Network members
will be offering mentoring, coaching, training, job opportunities, and ongoing support. Should there be a problem the employer will have the backing of one of our members.
“Corbett Network members are all dedicated to reducing reoffending. Returning citizens have an excellent work ethic, are loyal, committed, and grateful for this second chance. As one of our members says: ‘Judge them on their abilities, not on their past.’”
Lady Corbett added: “YCG has been diligent in talking to all stakeholders and building a service that works for everyone – prison- er, prison leaver and importantly the employer. All stakeholders should embrace YCG’s careers site because this initiative could be the biggest improvement to the prison system and the reduction in reoffending numbers, in years. I believe YCG’s careers service is a gamechanger.”
For prisoners and other stakeholders who have access to online services the careers site is accessible at www.ycgcareers.com. If you do not have internet access but would like to access the careers platform, please ask your Employment Lead or Resettlement Lead to access the platform on your behalf and search for jobs that are available in your release area.
For access enquiries about this outreach programme please contact darryl@yourconsultationgroup.com. For information about Your Consultation Group’s fully integrated model for prisoner engagement, education, training, employment, and accommodation please see www.yourconsultationgroup.com.
For information about The Corbett Network please see www.thecorbettnetwork.com.
Posters advertising the service are widely available.