Maximus UK has been awarded four Ministry of Justice contracts to deliver Education, Training & Employment (ETE) support to people on probation.
From next month, over three years, we will support more than 45,000 people supervised by the National Probation Service across London, the North West, the West Midlands and Wales.
We will help service users enter education, improve their skills and find or maintain employment.
Working with a dedicated advisor, they will have access to tailored advice and support. This will include CV building and job clubs, literacy and numeracy programmes, disclosure guidance, support with professional accreditations and signposting to specialist services.
Maximus UK will also work with employers to raise awareness of the benefits of more inclusive recruitment practices, and to source job opportunities across a range of sectors.
The contracts will be delivered in conjunction with specialist local partners who have decades of experience supporting ex-offenders into education and employment. These include Willowdene and Inspira.
A global leader in the delivery of health, employment and case-management programmes, Maximus is one of the largest employment support providers in the UK.
We will be the single largest provider of the new service. It is the first large-scale Ministry of Justice programmes delivered by Maximus in the UK.
Dr Paul Williams, Division President of Maximus UK, said:
“This marks an exciting new chapter for Maximus UK, bringing our extensive expertise delivering effective employment and skills support to a new sector.
“Through ETE, we will support tens of thousands of people to move forward with their lives and access the training and skills they need, delivering a positive impact for individuals, their families and local communities.”
Alex Chalk MP, Prisons and Probation Minister, said:
“Tackling things like homelessness, unemployment and illiteracy is vital to our drive to cut crime but these issues cannot be solved by our brilliant probation staff alone.
“The expertise and support of charities and companies like those we are funding today plays a crucial role in helping offenders to rehabilitate and lead a crime-free life.”
