Yorkshire-based textile, apparel, sewn-products and leather manufacturing businesses are invited to an event on 13 February 2025 at HMP Lindholme to explore how trained prison leavers can help tackle skills shortages and recruitment challenges in the sector.

UKFT and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are working to build a stronger link between prison textiles work and jobs in the textiles sector for prison leavers. We believe this work can create real benefits for many businesses.

HMPPS has 70 textiles workshops in 50 prisons across the estate manufacturing clothing, bedding, bags, and leather goods for the custodial estate. Prisoners are trained in all aspects of textile manufacturing, and operator quality management systems to ensure full traceability of goods.

Benefits of working with the HMPPS: 

We believe that prison leavers can help address the sector’s skills shortage and recruitment challenges. Working with HMPPS offers several advantages:

• Large, qualified talent pool: every day HMPPS ‘employs’ over 2000 prisoners to work in textiles workshops.
• Transparency: working with us directly gives companies a greater level of transparency over potential recruits, compared to job websites.
• Reduced costs: we will not charge recruitment costs and will pay for qualifications and training for prisoners.
• Supports your social value and corporate social responsibility work: giving ex-offenders jobs enables rehabilitation.

Find out more about this opportunity at an event specifically focused on the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Date and Location: 13 February 2025 HMP Lindholme. The event will kick-off around 08:30am and finish around lunchtime. Exact timings will be circulated closer to the event.

Event objectives:

• Tour of Lindholme prison to see, meet prisoners, see the workshops, and meet relevant staff.
• Presentation from the Prison Industries, UKFT and Yorkshire Prison Employment Leads on recruiting prisoners into the sector.
• Networking with Yorkshire Prison Employment Leads to help match vacancies with suitable prisoners.

Who should attend?

Senior staff, recruitment, and HR professionals from companies.

Space is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. We will accept a maximum of two people per company.

Register attendance

Please RSVP to textiles@justice.gov.uk 

Please bring a list of relevant vacancies with you to the event.

Detailed information about logistics and a briefing note will be sent out closer to the event.