Employer Registration Form

Overview

Employability in Prisons - Working with Employers

The Department of Justice work with employers across Northern Ireland to create meaningful employment and skills opportunities for people in custody - both before release and as they transition back into the community. By engaging with prisons, employers can:

• Fill vacancies and address ongoing labour and skills shortages
• Access a motivated, reliable, and often highly loyal workforce
• Improve staff retention and reduce recruitment costs
• Shape training and pre-employment programmes to meet real business needs
• Support rehabilitation, social value, and safer communities.

Many employers who engage with prisoners report strong commitment, loyalty, and long-term retention from employees recruited through custody-based programmes.

Employers can get involved in a range of ways, including:

• Recruiting for roles pre and post-release
• Delivering employability and workplace skills sessions
• Offering sector-specific training and qualifications
• Providing mentoring, mock interviews, and CV support
• Hosting work taster sessions, insight days, or practical workshops
• Supporting pre-employment programmes within prisons

Our team provides full support throughout the process - from role suitability and risk assessment to candidate matching and ongoing engagement - making involvement easy for businesses.

Get Involved

If you are an employer interested in recruiting, training, or supporting people in custody to build skills and prepare for employment, fill out this short 10 minute survey to register your interest.

There is no commitment at this stage. We will contact you within 10 working days of submitting your registration form, to discuss your application in more detail.