HMP Berwyn in Wrexham is part of a new scheme helping to boost the employability of prisoners ready for their release.

The Employment Advisory Board is part of a Ministry of Justice trial scheme focussing on the rehabilitation of offenders at the prison in Wrexham.

The board brings together prison leaders, local businesses and stakeholders to find and provide those in HMP Berwyn with employment opportunities, with the aim of reducing reoffending.

The Employment Board scheme was initially set up in ten prisons across the UK, including at HMP Berwyn, with support from James Timpson, the chief executive officer of Timpson, a UK-wide retailer that employs ex-offenders.

Reducing reoffending is one of the UK Government's priorities, having seen investment of £500m over the next three years

So, HMP Berwyn has taken a new look at the sustainable employment outcomes for prisoners upon release and how the prison environment can assist men with maintaining existing skills whilst building upon their employability when incarcerated.

This means working with a number of external agencies to increase employability, matching men with potential employers and finding suitable housing, mental health and financial support for those leaving prison.

As an example of what the Wrexham prison has been doing to support inmates back into work, recently a series of successful hospitality employment events were held in their new employment hub.

The sessions brought business from across the hospitality sector alongside the DWP, Careers Wales and work coaches to support men to identify training and certification that they may require for their employment aims.

The event also included a CV writing workshop and engagement with employers. One event in November alone lead to 16 opportunities. This was also an opportunity for employers to have a frank conversation about the benefits of employing ex-offenders, particularly at a time when hospitality and construction are experiencing skills shortages.

Going forward, the Employment Board will also be running a meet the employer event for those at HMP Berwyn that will be released within the next 12 months. This event will be supported by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), an organisation that promotes training opportunities for those in the construction industry.

Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton has been a member of the board since it began earlier this year.

She said: "The Employment Board is an innovative project linking prisoners with employers, something that has had proven success across the UK and which I hope will have similar positive outcomes here in Wrexham.

"A commitment of mine as the MP for Wrexham is to support our local economy and excellent businesses – this project will help do this by providing well-trained and motivated individuals, all ready to begin working in vital economic sectors. Another of my commitments as the MP for Wrexham is to make sure residents feel safe where they live, and this project will contribute to this by reducing cycles of reoffending and supporting offenders as they leave prison."

The Governor of HMP Berwyn, Nick Leader said: "This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference. We are preparing prisoners for employment then giving them a chance to become constructive members of our community by having a job that will support them and help address work skill gaps our local employers are experiencing. When released prisoners are our future neighbours and by us working to provide a job and accommodation on release this will benefit us all and ultimately will protect the public by helping men lead productive law-abiding lives on release."