On Friday 28th June we are pleased to open the doors to our Hull service for National Employability Day where thousands of organisations across the UK will join the largest celebration of those supporting local people into work.
Offploy wanted to do something a little different for our first year and have decided to open our doors to both commissioners and employers who will become a candidate for a day and experience our full nine-step journey, which usually spans months, in just two hours.
The morning event is now full. However, you can register for the afternoon event running from 2pm to 4pm here.
Over the course of two hours, employers and commissioners will be given a new back story, they will be welcomed by our Social Employment Advisors, their needs will be assessed and they will receive one-to-one mentoring, attending a 'live' employability course then have a mock interview before hopefully being offered sustainable employment.
The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of some of the barriers people with criminal convictions can face when looking for employment often years after their sentence has been served.
Jacob Hill, Offploy's Managing Director, shared:
"Finding work with a criminal conviction can be tough. It is not very clear to both employer and candidate when convictions become spent, this can breed uncertainty, lack of confidence and low self-esteem - none of which are conducive to a successful interview.
"Hosting events such as prison visits and these days help give employers the confidence to recruit people with criminal convictions through understanding the challenges some of their applicants will face.
"I am pleased to see so many more employers now open to hiring and recognising the value people with criminal convictions can bring to their organisation."
National Employability Day is coordinated by the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), you can read more about them here.