Greene King and Severn Trent unite to help ex-offenders and care leavers find jobs in West Midlands

The pilots will identify what works in the West Midlands and develop solutions that can be scaled nationally. 

This includes an AI tool to help employers understand how and why to employ hidden talent, and a shared talent pool built by West Midlands Jobcentre Plus, Severn Trent and Amazon. 

SWAPs will also be trialled in closed and open prisons.

Ed Boyd, CEO of ReGenerate, said: “For too long, care leavers, ex-offenders, and young people with mental health conditions have been kept on the margins of the labour market – this is despite the fact that businesses benefit when they recruit them; often gaining talented, hard working and valuable members of their team. 

“Everyone in this partnership, from the 5 government departments to the 12 major businesses, recognise this reality. 

“It is so exciting to work together to build everything from an AI tool supporting recruiters to a way of sharing opportunities between companies, to reduce the number times a potential employee is sent back to the Jobcentre as they are building their career.”

Boyd added: “This partnership plans to create 500 more job opportunities for hidden talent in the West Midlands this year alone, and we cannot wait to expand it throughout the UK together in 2027.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Here in the West Midlands, we have nearly 600,000 people who are out of work, and too many of them feel completely shut out of opportunity. 

“Care leavers, prison leavers, young people who’ve struggled – these are all people who want to work, who want to build a future, but who keep hitting walls that others don’t. 

“That’s both a moral failure and an economic one, because every person locked out of work is talent our economy is missing out on.”

Parker added: “This challenge is too big for government or business to solve alone. 

“But when local agencies, central government and purpose-driven businesses work as genuine partners from the start, not as an afterthought, real change becomes possible. 

“That’s exactly what this Economic Inactivity Partnership does, and our region is the right place to prove it. 

“I’m determined that what we build here can shape how Britain tackles this challenge across the country.”

James Jesic, CEO at Severn Trent, said: “At Severn Trent, we’ve seen first-hand the difference removing barriers to work can make, and creating opportunities can be truly life changing to those who need it. 

“We’re proud to be building something bigger through the Economic Inactivity Partnership and working alongside good business charity ReGenerate, to bring together government and business to drive real, meaningful change. 

“Today’s launch is just the beginning, we’re determined that what starts here in the West Midlands really helps shape the future of hidden talent employment across the UK.”