Pub retailer and brewer Greene King has reached the landmark of hiring its 250th prison leaver through its Releasing Potential programme, which helps prisoners to develop new skills in hospitality, with the goal of offering them employment once they leave prison.
The programme was launched in May 2019 to support those leaving prison to find employment with the company following their release from prison. It works with more than 65 prisons across the UK, providing information and support for prisoners to develop their skills in food preparation, customer service, barista training and housekeeping to prepare them to work in Greene King pubs and hotels upon their release.
Working in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Scottish Prison Service, New Futures Network and Novus, Greene King has invested in two training kitchens within prisons at HMP Thameside and HMP Grampian. Each site emulates a Greene King kitchen and delivers bespoke training programmes, which help to build confidence and teach prisoners the skills needed to cook popular dishes from pub menus so that they can take up a role with Greene King on leaving custody.
As part of its commitment to hiring prison leavers, Greene King became one of the first employers in the UK to take part in a pilot programme offering apprenticeships to prisoners in open prisons in October 2022. Earlier this year, Greene King’s first apprentice through the programme, who started their apprenticeship whilst in custody, has become a full-time kitchen team member for Greene King. The pub company and brewer is currently working with a number of other candidates who are planning on starting an apprenticeship before their release date.
As part of the Releasing Potential programme, Greene King works closely with charities, such as Only a Pavement Away and The Recruitment Junction to help with wrap around support for prison leavers when they leave custody, ensuring the best chance of not only sustaining employment but reducing reoffending.
Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, said:
“We are committed to championing social mobility through providing everybody, regardless of their background, with the chance to pursue a long-term career in the hospitality industry. With pubs at the heart of local communities across the country, our Releasing Potential scheme supports prison leavers nationwide on their journey to successful rehabilitation. We are proud to have offered a second chance to 250 individuals and look forward to welcoming many more successful applicants in the months and years ahead.”
Minister for Probation and Prisons, James Timpson said:
“The criminal justice system exists to keep our streets safe, but employers can play their part too by helping offenders turn their back on crime through the stability of a secure job.
“We can’t ignore that nearly 80% of offenders are re-offenders. Partnerships like our one with Greene King help tackle this by tapping into a disregarded talent pool, helping to rehabilitate prison leavers, cut crime and grow our economy.”
In July 2024, Greene King was included in the government’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers List. Since launching its apprenticeship scheme in 2011, the company has supported more than 17,500 apprentices through the scheme.
