Knowledge Exchange: Exploring Employment Opportunities

We know that from our Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) that:

· Continued recruitment challenges have knocked business confidence.

· Staff costs are amongst the biggest business concerns in the North East.

· Companies across the region are increasingly looking to recruitment and retention in increasingly diverse ways

Recently published statistics shows that Middlesbrough tops the list with the highest reoffending rate, where two in five (40.2%) offenders go on to reoffend. Regionally, the North East is a reoffending hotspot, with Hartlepool (35.3%), Redcar and Cleveland (32.4%), and Stockton-on-Tees (31.3%) all appearing within the top third of the rankings.

We know from previous NECC events in 2025, that there is a positive link between employment and reducing re-offending rates. Minister for Probation, Prisons and Reducing Reoffending, James Timpson, has said “getting former offenders into stable work is a sure way of cutting crime and making our streets safer. That’s why partnering with businesses to get more former offenders into work is a win-win.”

Here at NECC, we are keen to help business explore employment options for ex-offenders by giving business a chance to experience first-hand the options available for people in a custodial setting.

By seeing and hearing the opportunities first-hand, business can then decide whether employing an ex-offender is the right option for them.

Giving someone an opportunity at a 2nd chance might be the best decision you can make.

Agenda:

0930 - Arrival and registration / sign-in

0940 - Coffee and introduction

0955 - Tour of workshop(s) and/or education

1045 - Q & A / discussion

1130 - finish

IMPORTANT - SECURITY INFORMATION

• Please note that registration will close 5 days prior to the event, so to pass registered names on to the prison.
• No security vetting is needed for this visit, although you will be requested to provide your name and date of birth as part of the Department of Justice arrangements of visiting HMP Holme House. NECC will not use this data for any other reason than providing the information to HMP Holme House and will be deleted after registration. Please note that the provision of this information is a requirement of the visit.
• ID will be required for the visit (passport, driving license, Gov't issued ID card)
• A full list of items not allowed into the prison will be provided prior to the visit (which includes items such as no smart watches, laptops, mobile phones etc).

Dress code: We don’t stipulate a dress code at our events, but we’d recommend you dress like you’re going to meet new clients. The most important this is that you're comfortable.

Behaviour & Conduct: Our events create an inclusive space for individuals and organisations to meet where we expect all our attendees to behave with courtesy and respect, to both each other and Chamber colleagues.