Business leaders gathered at Triodos Bank's offices in Bristol this week for a Meet the Employer workshop hosted by crime prevention charity Key4Life which aimed to create employment opportunities for ex-offenders and drive social change in the corporate world.

Renowned for its YOUNITED Flag campaign which has awarded several companies in Bristol and the south west for employing ex-offenders - including Yeo Valley, Willmott Dickson and Sir Robert McAlpine - Key4Life runs 7-step rehabilitation programmes for young men in prison or at risk of going to prison. A core element of these programmes is employability training to prepare the men for work and help them to get jobs.

The employability workshop was attended by 11 companies/organisations from Bristol and the South West, many of whom have already employed Key4Life participants following previous workshops, including ITS, Acorn Recruitment, Voi Technology and The Nisbet Trust. Leaders from these companies conducted a series of three 10-minute short mock interviews with each of the 15 young men from Bristol, Street and Bridgewater currently enrolled on Key4Life's six month programme. Stylishly attired in suits and armed with CVs, many of these men had never been interviewed before.

Kit, a 27-year-old participant on the programme from Street in Somerset, said:

"Key4Life has helped me immensely in just four weeks – they've helped me built up my self-confidence and given me helpful tips for putting my best foot forward at interview. Any step from here is a positive one and I will take any opportunities today with both hands."

Key4Life's aim for the workshop was to book as many participants as possible onto a three-day Work Taster with one of the companies attending, and with the hope that some of these openings might lead to job offers.

Eva Hamilton, Founder and CEO of Key4Life, said:

"Getting a good job is the glue that keeps these young men away from a life of crime. And yet research shows that 50% of corporate Britain would not hire ex-offenders. However, employing ex-offenders is an opportunity to do right for the local community and helps to remove unfair prejudice. Likewise businesses stand to benefit by extending employment opportunities to a broader candidate pool of untapped talent."

Damien Shiel, City/Warehouse Manager at Voi Technology, which has provided both work tasters and jobs to Key4Life participants following previous Meet the Employer events, said:

"I encourage other companies in the Bristol area to keep an open mind to employing ex-offenders. These guys, from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, are a valuable untapped resource, as we have experienced ourselves. You can find some real diamonds in the bunch – I'd recommend it to anyone."

For more information about Key4Life and to find out how your business can help drive social change by giving young ex-offenders another chance, visit: www.key4life.org.uk